Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., the owner of the drugstore chain Walgreens, saw a small, but noticeable slide in its share value today. According to the Wall Street Journal, this is mostly due to a reduced demand for both the general merchandise carried by the stores and the reduced demand for personal health products.
Since the beginning of October, WBA’s stock values have been hovering around the low 70s, and as such, the company has fallen short of growth value expectations. However, an increase in prescription drug sales has an 11% boost to overall sales, which has bolstered the chain’s pharmacy sections and kept the general merchandise demand from harming the bottom line too much. Compared to 2017, Walgreens’ fourth-quarter sales are down by 2% domestically, with a 1% decrease internationally. Overall, sales sit at $33.44 billion, a few notches short of the projected $33.78 billion. The company is hoping for a 7% to 12% growth for 2019.
