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Drugstore chain Walgreen's quarterly sales rise 6.2 percent

[September 30, 2014]  (Reuters) - U.S. drugstore chain operator Walgreen Co reported a 6.2 percent rise in quarterly sales, helped by higher prescription sales, sending its shares up more than 3 percent in premarket trading.

Prescription sales, which made up nearly two thirds of the company's total sales, rose 9.3 percent in the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31.

Total revenue rose to $19.06 billion in the quarter from $17.94 billion a year earlier.

The net loss attributable to the company was $239 million, or 25 cents per share, in the quarter, and included an $866 million non-cash loss due to the amendment and exercise of its Alliance Boots call option.

Walgreen posted a profit of $657 million, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, the company earned 74 cents per share in the latest quarter.

The company's shares rose 3.2 percent to $61.50 in trading before the bell on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago and Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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