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Governments and health authorities around the world continue to
push for increased testing and vaccine booster doses as the
highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.2 has prompted
surges in cases in many countries in Europe and Asia, and raised
concerns over a potential new wave in the United States.
In the second quarter ended Feb. 28, Walgreens administered 11.8
million vaccinations and 6.6 million tests. The company has
forecast 30 million vaccinations this year at its sites.
Shares of the drugstore chain were, however, marginally lower at
$47.10 in volatile premarket trading, after Walgreens kept its
2022 forecast of low-single digit earnings growth unchanged.
The company's U.S. pharmacy sales fell 3.3% in the quarter, hurt
by a weak performance in its mail-order AllianceRx Walgreens
business.
Total sales rose 3% to $33.77 billion, beating estimates of
$33.40 billion.
Excluding items, the company earned $1.59 per share, compared
with Refinitiv IBES estimates of $1.40 per share.
Walgreens said the strategic review of its UK-based Boots
business, which began in January this year, was progressing.
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru;
Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
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