Investopedia: Will Patience Pay For Walgreen Shareholders?

There is a lot about Walgreen (NYSE:WAG) that would seem to make it a no-brainer for long-term investors. It is the second-largest drug retailer in the country, and people always need drugs, right? Moreover, a Walgreen is within a short drive or walk for a rather large percentage of the country so there is a definite convenience aspect as well. On top of that, the company has generated fairly solid returns on capital and would seem to be transitioning to a point where its capital base is not so demanding on cash flow. 

A Second Quarter Bedeviled By Expectations  
If an investor did not know the expectations around Walgreen going into the earnings report, the 7% drop in the stock on Tuesday would not make all that much sense. After all, revenue did rise almost 9% this quarter and that beat the average estimate. Within those numbers, total comps rose more than 4%, with pharmacy comps up just slightly less than that. 


The problems, such as they are, came in the income statement. Gross margin actually declined a bit (five basis points), and that is a much-watched detail with this company. So, backsliding here is not great news. Operating income was a bit better though, as the company controlled the SG&A line and operating income grew a bit more than 11%. The company also picked up a penny from share buybacks, though, and that is how the company met the EPS target for the quarter. (For more, see The Bottom Line On Margins.)

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