Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is set to report fiscal first-quarter earnings before the opening bell Friday🦋, with the pharmacy retailer coming off a year in 💎which it was the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500.

Analysts are cautious about Walgreens stock, with five 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:"hold" ratings along with one each "buy" and "sell" rating among the seven analysts tracked by Visible Alpha. The stock has an average 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:price target of $10, about 8% above its Wednesday close.

The pharmacy chain is expected to report $37.33 billion in sales for the quarter, up from $36.71 billion the same time last year, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. Walgreens is projected to report a net loss per share of 2 cents compared to 8 cents last year. However, its adjusted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) is expected to be 38 cents per share, which would be down from 66 cents a year ago.

The pharmacy was originally set to report earnings Thursday, but pushed the report back a day as the market 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:will be closed Thursday in remembrance of former president 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Jimmy Carter, who 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:died late last month.

Report Follows Store Closure Announcement, Report✃s of Possible Sale

The company had a difficult 2024 as it noted a "challenging retail environment," as Walgreens was one of several retailers that 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:lowered prices as it worked to win back customers. The stock hit its 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:lowest point in decades in the second half of the year, ending the yeꦐar at $9.33.

In its last report in October, Walgreens 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:announced a plan to close roughly 1,200 stores across the U.S. over the next three years as it "focuses on stabilizꦆing the retail pharmacy by optimizing our footprint" and cutting costs. About 500 of those closures are expected to come in this fiscal year.

Last month, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:reports emerged that Walgreens was in discussions to potentially be acquired by 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:private equity firm Syc😼amore Partners in a deal that could see Sycamore sell off pieces of the pharmacy.