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☆ How to get the biggest bang for your buck while investing in dividend-paying stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As attractive as today's yields may look on certain dividend-paying stocks, they only tell part of the story when you're choosing names for income. Lower interest rates make other income-generating assets, including dividend-paying stocks, more attractive compared to the risk-free yields on Treasurys. Dividend stocks took their lumps during 2022 as the Fed embarked on its rate hikes – consider that the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) posted a total return of negative 9% in 2022 – and rate-sensitive income stocks in the utilities and real estate sector suffered. Check with your brokerage to make sure you have dividends reinvested as your preference for individual stocks and ETFs. Picking the right names Dividend investors are seeing 2024 as a potential rebound year for these stocks, anticipating a broadening rally.

Persons: Michael Arone, Dow, VIG, would've, Grace Lee, –, Dow Jones, Arone, Chris Hayes Organizations: SPDR, State, Federal, Dow Jones, Fed, Vanguard, CNBC Pro, IBM, Columbia, Opportunity, Walgreens, Alliance

☆ Here's what I'm watching to see where the market goes next after the S&P 500 record close
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

We don't know what we want. The rails are too significant to ignore even as the bond market seems to rely, I would say, wrongly, on the broader data. I think it's a factor of big money flows that aren't sensitive to what moves rates and don't mind being wrong. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

Persons: Tesla, ServiceNow, Bill McDermott, Russell, —, Abbott, Gamble, Jon Moeller, Heels, what's, hasn't, Steve Jobs, Ray, Kimberly, Clark, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Virginia Sherwood Organizations: Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Federal Reserve, Silicon Valley Bank, Microsoft, Nvidia tacking, Google, Apple, Nvidia, JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, Abbott Laboratories, Investing, JPMorgan, Novartis, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Procter, Super, YouTube, Netflix, Vision, Pro, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, NYSE Locations: U.S, Silicon, San Francisco, Amgen, China

☆ Why we like health-care stocks in 2024 despite their spotty record in presidential election years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The S & P 500 Health Care Sector index has outperformed the broader S & P 500 in just three of the past eight presidential election years dating back to 1992, according to FactSet data. So far in 2024, health care has been the best-performing sector in the S & P 500, climbing roughly 2%. .GSPHC .SPX YTD mountain Health care sector vs. S & P 500 YTD It's way too early for any grand predictions with Election Day 2024 about 10 months away. Nevertheless, we see attractive fundamentals in the year ahead for a host of health-care stocks, giving us the confidence to own Lilly, GE Healthcare and Danaher despite what history says about the group in presidential election years. After a strong 2022 for health care in a terrible overall market, investors last year placed a lower emphasis on the defensive characteristics of health care.

Persons: —, that's, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Jim Cramer, Jim, Sen, Bernie Sanders of, Joe Biden, Sanders, would've, Damien Conover, Conover, Biden, Eli Lilly's, Morningstar, Amgen, Morningstar's Conover, Lilly's donanemab, Humana, Bausch, Jim Cramer's, Frederick Florin Organizations: Health, GE Healthcare, Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, Novartis, Walgreens Boots Alliance, JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, Democratic, Morningstar, CNBC, Horizon Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Federal Reserve, General Electric, Medicare, Humana, UnitedHealth Group, Investors, AFP, Getty Locations: San Francisco, U.S, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Canadian, Fegersheim, France

☆ The American Dream is 'rapidly diminishing,' Walgreens boss says in plea to raise taxes for the wealthy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walgreens Boots Alliance's executive vice president, John Driscoll, penned a letter asking lawmakers in the US and abroad to tax the wealthy. Driscoll echoed the pleas of entrepreneurs, an heiress, and activists in his demand to save the "rapidly diminishing American Dream." Advertisement"In this spirit, I call on national and international lawmakers to do whatever it takes to tax wealthy people like me," Driscoll wrote. "I agree that we should make elaborate tax-avoidance schemes illegal, but acting upon that would upset a lot of donors, so we will see words, but no action," Musk wrote in June. In his tax letter, Driscoll cited a report from the Economic Policy Institute that CEOs made 399 times as much as a typical employee in 2021.

Persons: —, John Driscoll, Driscoll, Switzerland that's, Daniel Werfel, Elon Musk —, Joe Biden, Musk Organizations: Service, Walgreens Boots, Business, IRS, Analysts, EU Tax Observatory, Economic Policy Institute Locations: Davos, Switzerland

☆ 4 stock ideas I brought back from the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference and everything else I learned about the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

We will go over them – but first, let me talk about what I learned at last week's JPMorgan Health Care Conference that I attended in San Francisco, and what it means to your portfolio. We know health care has a lot of angles too it. The previous CEO Roz Brewer was from Starbucks and struggled with the role that Walgreens plays in health care. You have to be following the transformation of Bristol-Myers, which is opening its wallet to buy a host of drug companies, including anti-psychotic firm Karuna. Health care is the way to go.

Persons: Regeneron, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Dave Ricks, Lilly, donanemab, Lilly's, Zepbound, it's, Abbott, It's, Roche, Merck, Myers, ABT, Robert Ford, Tim Wentworth, He's, Roz Brewer, Wentworth, he'll, Brewer wasn't, Bob Bradway, Amgen, Vas Narasimhan, Sandoz, Karuna, Medtronic, Hugo, Morgan Stanley, Wells, Covid, Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Las Vegas Brendan Smialowski Organizations: Abbott Labs, Covid, Novartis, Amgen, Walgreens Boots Alliance, JPMorgan Health Care Conference, Humana, Drug Administration, Novo Nordisk, Dickinson Co, Bristol, Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Department, WBA, Walgreens, Starbucks, -, pharma, Merck, Keytruda, Horizon Therapeutics, Federal Trade Commission, Myers, BD, CVS Health, JPMorgan, Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Consumer, AFP, Getty Locations: San Francisco, GLP, North Carolina, Europe, Cencora, Amgen, West, Bristol, Target, Las Vegas

☆ Walgreens to close nearly all pharmacies on Thanksgiving for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk by a Walgreens, owned by the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) will close nearly all of its stores and pharmacies on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in the chain's history to give staff "time with their loved ones", the company said on Thursday. However, nearly all of its 700 24-hour locations will remain open on Thanksgiving, along with certain distribution centers and other sites including supply chain and centralized teams, Walgreens said. Many big box stores such as Walmart (WMT.N) and Target (TGT.N) are closed on Thanksgiving, but pharmacies and grocery stores typically remain open with adjusted hours. However, CVS and Walgreens had said the work action had minimal impact on their operations, with most stores remaining open.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, —, Tracey Brown, RiteAid, Leroy Leo, Devika Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, REUTERS, Walgreens Retail, Walmart, IAM Healthcare, CVS, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Walgreens Wants the Corner Drugstore to Be an Online Delivery Hub
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amazon is the king of fast delivery—it pioneered the two-day shipping model customers have come to expect. But to stay ahead of Target and Walmart, it’s overhauling its distribution network. WSJ visits a same-day facility to explore the company’s fast-shipping strategy. Photo illustration: JJ LinWalgreens Boots Alliance is betting its 8,700 bricks-and-mortar stores, and not a network of fulfillment centers, hold the key to speeding up delivery of online consumer orders and increasing sales. The pharmacy giant recently closed a warehouse in Edwardsville, Ill., dedicated to filling e-commerce orders for household items such as toothpaste and nail polish, signaling that it is going all-in on the idea that its stores will do double duty as both retail outlets and hubs for home deliveries.

Persons: JJ Lin Organizations: Target, Walmart, JJ Lin Walgreens Boots Alliance Locations: Edwardsville, Ill

☆ Amazon says unapproved eye drops being removed from its platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O) said on Wednesday it was in the process of removing seven unapproved eye drops from its e-commerce platform following a warning letter from the U.S. health regulator earlier this week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday sent a warning letter to Amazon for selling eye drops which have not been recognized as safe and effective in providing temporary relief from symptoms such as excessive watery discharge, redness, burning and pink eye. The eye drops flagged in the letter to Amazon include Similasan Pink Eye Relief, Can-C Eye Drops, Optique 1 Eye Drops and OcluMed Eye Drops, among others. The FDA has warned consumers against using 26 over-the-counter eye drops due to risk of infection and some cases of possible vision loss. The health agency also sent warning letters to eight other companies in September, including pharmacy giants CVS Health (CVS.N) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O), against manufacturing or marketing of certain unapproved eye products.

Persons: Pascal, Bhanvi, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Monday, Eye, FDA, CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ US FDA warns Amazon against sale of unapproved eye drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had sent a warning letter to Amazon.com (AMZN.O) related to sale of seven unapproved eye drops on the company's e-commerce platform. In the letter dated Nov. 13, FDA said Amazon was selling eye drops which have not been recognized as safe and effective for providing temporary relief from eye symptoms such as excessive watery discharge, redness, burning, or pink eye. Eye products generally pose a greater risk of harm to consumers as they bypass some of the body's natural defenses, the agency said. The seven products flagged in the letter to Amazon include Similasan Pink Eye Relief, Can-C Eye Drops, Optique 1 Eye Drops, OcluMed Eye Drops, among others. In September, FDA warned eight companies, including pharmacy giants CVS Health (CVS.N) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O), against manufacturing or marketing of certain unapproved eye products.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Privately, Similasan, Bhanvi, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Eye, CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, August31, 2023. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said Eli Lilly (LLY.N) could begin selling its drug tirzepatide for weight loss, making it the second obesity drug in a class known as GLP-1s. Studies of Novo's Wegovy showed that it led to 15% weight loss over 68 weeks, while Lilly's drug, which also targets a second hormone called GIP, demonstrated weight loss of more than 22% over 72 weeks. Drugstore chain Walgreens is seeing "enormous demand" for GLP-1s, said John Driscoll, president, U.S. healthcare at Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O). Much has been made of the impact the new weight loss drugs might have on consumer habits such as snack food purchases, but Driscoll said Walgreens has not seen that yet.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Eli Lilly, Novo, Novo's Wegovy, Lawrence Tabak, John Driscoll, Tabak, Driscoll, Walgreens, Julie Steenhuuysen, Caroline Stauffer, Deena Beasley, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Total Health, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . National Institutes of Health, Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, August31, Victoria, Chicago, U.S, satiety

☆ Amazon’s health push is a too-costly prescription
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Snag is, primary care tends to be a recipe for burning cash. Drugstore chains have been buying up primary care companies in the hope of steering patients to their stores. Prime members can add up to five additional memberships to the same plan at $6 a person. The primary care provider had 836,000 members at the end of last year, with practices in two dozen metropolitan areas. It had over 200 million members worldwide as of April 2021.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Amazon, Amazon Web Services, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Telecom, AT, Time Warner, Thomson

☆ Stocks paying high dividends that are safe and ones that are not, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dividend stocks can be a good way to earn income amid market volatility, but not all dividends are necessarily safe. Here are some of those stocks that offer a strong balance sheet and high, but safe, dividends, according to Bank of America. In October, KeyCorp reported third-quarter earnings per share of 29 cents, slightly above the 27 cents expected by analysts, per StreetAccount. Walgreens Boots Alliance , with an 8.8% dividend yield, is also highly leveraged, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.8, according to Bank of America. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 67 cents, versus the 69 cents expected from analysts polled by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv.

Persons: they're, Savita Subramanian, Rowe Price, StreetAccount, KeyCorp, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Investors, Federal Reserve, Bank of America, Revenue, Walgreens Boots Alliance, LSEG Locations: Baltimore, Cleveland

☆ Walgreens is cancelling corporate bonuses as big pharmacies face increasing difficulties
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Walgreens on Tuesday sent out a notice to staff announcing that annual bonuses would not be funded. Tuesday was the second day of a planned three-day series of scattered walkouts by Walgreens pharmacy staff. A Walgreens representative clarified to CNN that only managers were eligible for bonuses at pharmacies. “We are building on the company’s pharmacy strength and trusted brand to evolve healthcare delivery. Stefano Pessina, the former Walgreens CEO and current executive chair of the board, worth nearly $7 billion, made more than $8 million in compensation last year, according to Walgreens compensation filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Persons: Manmohan Mahajan, ”, Fraser Engerman, Tim Wentworth, Neal Sample, Rosalind Brewer, Vincent Alban Vincent Alban, Reddit, Stefano Pessina, Shane Jerominski Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walgreens, Employees, CNN, Walgreens Boots Alliance, ”, Rite, CVS, REUTERS, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, Labor, Reuters Labor, Workers, American Pharmacists Association Locations: New York, Deerfield , Illinois, U.S, Southern California, Deerfield, Il, Arizona , Washington , Massachusetts, Oregon

☆ Zebra Technologies beats quarterly profit expectations, sees soft demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Barcode scanner maker Zebra Technologies Corp (ZBRA.O) beat third-quarter profit and revenue estimates on Tuesday but forecast a bigger-than-expected drop in the fourth-quarter net sales due to slowing tech spending in a tough economy. With inflation and weak consumer spending still weighing on the company's operations, it expects free cash flow to remain negative this year. Zebra Technologies initiated several cost-cutting measures in the second quarter, such as slowing hiring and downsizing its offices, to combat the impact of soft demand across its end-markets. Its third-quarter revenue of $956 million beat expectations of $926.3 million, while adjusted earnings of 87 cents per share came above estimates of 81 cents per share. The company said it now expects annual cost savings to be about $100 million, up from $85 million, from its cost initiatives.

Persons: Bill Burns, Yamini, Saumyadeb Organizations: Zebra Technologies, . Postal Service, Walgreens Boots Alliance, The Lincolnshire ,, Thomson Locations: The Lincolnshire, The Lincolnshire , Illinois, Bengaluru

☆ Pharmacy staff from CVS, Walgreens stores in US start 3-day walkout
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Leroy Leo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The walkout, which the organizers have dubbed "Pharmageddon", is the third strike by pharmacists in a little over one month. In September, some staff from CVS stores in Kansas City went on a two-day strike, while there was another by Walgreens store employees earlier this month. Pharmacy staff in New York and Pennsylvania were planning to participate, including workers at some of Walgreens' Duane Reade stores in New York, he said. Some pharmacists were also planning to conduct rallies outside CVS' headquarters at Woonsocket, Rhode Island and at Walgreens at Deerfield, Illinois, according to social media posts. "Our ongoing efforts are focused on how we recruit, retain, and reward our pharmacy staff," a spokesperson for Walgreens told Reuters, adding that they have also centralized some operations to reduce pharmacists' workload.

Persons: Walgreens Boots Alliance's, Shane Jerominski, Duane Reade, Jerominski, Kaiser, Leroy Leo, Shinjini Organizations: CVS Health Corp, Walgreens Boots, Kansas City, Walgreens, Reuters, Jerominski, Pharmacy, CVS, Kaiser Permanente, Thomson Locations: U.S, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, Woonsocket , Rhode Island, Deerfield , Illinois, Bengaluru

☆ Earnings calls reveal how companies ranging from Coca-Cola to JPMorgan are capitalizing on AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The craze around AI kicked off late last year with the launch of ChatGPT, and dozens of technology companies from Alphabet to Meta Platforms have thrown a hat into the ring . Many companies have utilized AI or machine-learning tools in the past to streamline their businesses. For pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance and soda maker Coca-Cola , AI is helping improve supply chains, forecast demand and in some cases, predict spending. Centene , UnitedHealth and Elevance Health all highlighted ways they are implementing AI to improve customer offerings. Financials Major financial and banking companies are also finding ways to capitalize on AI to improve efficiencies and their bottom line.

Persons: Gary Guthart, Elevance, UnitedHealth, Erica, Moody's, Andrew Schlossberg, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, That's Organizations: CNBC Pro, Consumer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Supply, Microsoft, Health, Elevance, Bank of America, Google, Mastercard, JPMorgan

The benchmark S&P 500 index (.SPX) bounced above 4200, a key technical level, after falling almost a percent during the open. Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Meta Platforms (META.O), which have helped power the S&P 500 (.SPX) higher in 2023 while the other indexes lagged, report later this week. Chipmaker Intel (INTC.O), oil major Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), General Motors (GM.N) are among other major companies set to report results this week. Overall, earnings are expected to grow at 1.2% in the third quarter for S&P 500 companies, as per LSEG data. Seven of the 11 major S&P 500 sub sectors were in the green, with industrials (.SPLRCI) and communication services (.SPLRCL) leading gains.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Hess, Bill Ackman's, David Bahnsen, Piper Sandler, Morgan, advancers, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Sriraj Kalluvila, Maju Samuel Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Chevron, Walgreens, Dow, Nasdaq, Capital Management, Microsoft, Intel, Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Dow Jones, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Hess Corp, FMC, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, East, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Chevron, Apple, Walgreens Boots Alliance and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chevron , Hess — Chevron shares slumped more than 2% after the oil giant said its buying smaller rival Hess in an all-stock deal totaling $53 billion, or $171 a share. Hess shares moved slightly higher. Walgreens Boots Alliance — The pharmacy operator rose nearly 3% after JPMorgan upgraded Walgreens Boots Alliance shares to overweight from neutral. Salesforce — The software giant lost nearly 2% after Piper Sandler downgraded shares to neutral from overweight, citing heightened execution and M & A risks. Bank of America downgraded Alcoa to a neutral rating and slashed its price target, citing concerns of a near-term earnings decline.

Persons: Hess, Stonepeak, Piper Sandler, Roche, —, Jesse Pound Organizations: Hess, Chevron, Apple, Global Times, Walgreens, Alliance, JPMorgan, Roivant Sciences, Pfizer, Telavant Holdings, Citi, Evercore, Alcoa, Bank of America Locations: Chevron, China

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 20, 2023. The yield on the note touched the July 2007 milestone that it briefly attempted to scale last week. Of the 86 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings so far in the third quarter, 78% have been above analyst estimates, according to the LSEG data. The benchmark stock index is down 8% from late July, when it hit its highest for the year, though still up 10% year-to-date. ET, Dow e-minis were down 224 points, or 0.67%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 31.5 points, or 0.74%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 129.75 points, or 0.88%.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Hess, Hadjikyriacos, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerome Powell, Piper Sandler, Morgan, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Maju Samuel Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Chevron, Walgreens, Dow, Nasdaq, XM, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Intel, Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Federal, Market, Dow e, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Hess Corp, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, megacap, Israel, Gaza, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Chevron, Okta, Walgreens, Spirit AeroSystems and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chevron — Chevron shares fell 3% after the energy giant agreed to buy Hess in a $53 billion all-stock deal , or $171 per share. Walgreens Boots Alliance — Shares popped 5.4% on Monday after JPMorgan upgraded shares to overweight from neutral and raised its price target. Beauty — Shares added 5% after Raymond James upgraded shares to strong buy from outperform in a Monday note. Spirit AeroSystems — The aerospace company's shares gained 4.8% after Bernstein raised its rating on shares to outperform from market perform. FMC Corp — The insecticide company's shares tumbled 12% after FMC issued third-quarter guidance that's lower than what it originally called for.

Persons: Hess, Okta, Pinterest, Raymond James, Olivia Tong, Tong, Bernstein, Pat Shanahan, EngageSmart, Stonepeak, CNBC's Pia Singh, Samantha Subin, Alex Harring, Sarah Min Organizations: Chevron — Chevron, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Citi, Evercore, Stifel, Walgreens, JPMorgan, Vista Equity Partners, Textainer, Clean Holdings, FMC Corp, FMC Locations: Guyana, U.S, America

☆ Walgreens to settle Rite Aid investors' merger claims for $192 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A sign advertises COVID-19 (coronavirus) vaccine shots at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S., August 14, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 19 (Reuters) - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) has agreed to pay $192.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit by investors in Rite Aid (RADCQ.PK) who accused Walgreens of misleading them in 2017 about scrutiny of the two drugstore chain operators' then-pending merger. A spokesperson for Walgreens and an attorney for Rite Aid investors did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The Rite Aid investors sued Walgreens and its executives over statements they made about the proposed merger between the two major U.S. pharmacy chains, which was first announced in 2015. The settlement with investors comes on the heels of Rite Aid filing for bankruptcy protection as it struggled with high debt and costs from opioid litigation.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Jennifer Wilson, Duane Reade, Jody Godoy, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Walgreens, REUTERS, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Rite, Rite Aid, Federal Trade Commission, Aid, Thomson Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, U.S, Pennsylvania, Britain, United States, New York

☆ Drug retailer Rite Aid files for bankruptcy, gets $3.45 bln commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman shops inside a Rite Aid store underneath a DeepCam security camera in New York City, New York, U.S., June 25, 2020. The bankruptcy process will allow Rite Aid to resolve litigation claims in an "equitable manner", the company said. Rite Aid has appointed Jeffrey Stein as its new CEO and chief restructuring officer, replacing interim CEO Elizabeth Burr. Rite Aid has also reached an in-principle agreement with some of its senior secured noteholders that would significantly reduce its debt. MedImpact will serve as the 'stalking horse bidder' in a court-supervised sale process, Rite Aid said.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Jeffrey Stein, Elizabeth Burr, Stein, Burr, noteholders, Abinaya Vijayaraghavan, Mariam Sunny, Sriparna Roy, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Rite Aid Corp, U.S, Aid, Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Health, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Solutions, Rite Aid, Bankruptcy, District of, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, District of New Jersey, Bengaluru

☆ The rise and fall of pharma bigwig Rite Aid, which couldn't keep up with rivals Walgreen and CVS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rite Aid filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday following slumping sales and a series of lawsuits. Rite Aid, which has over 47,000 employees, has struggled in recent years to compete against larger peers like CVS and Walgreens Boots Alliance, as well as Amazon. Rite Aid has faced growing competition from direct-to-consumer pharmacy startups as well as medication deliveries from the likes of Amazon and Uber. Rite Aid also experienced supply chain challenges after changing supplier for many of its perishable consumer goods and shrink "continued to be a significant headwind," Burr said. Representatives for Rite Aid did not immediately respond for Insider's request for further comment beyond sending statements about Stein's appointment and its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Persons: it's, —, Jeffrey S, Stein, Elizabeth Burr, Heyward Donigan, Donigan, Burr, there'd Organizations: Service, Rite, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Rite Aid, pharma, Aid, Discount, Rite Aid Corporation, PayLess, Walgreens, Albertsons, New York Times Locations: New Jersey, Scranton , Pennsylvania

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Ford, Target, Walgreens, Domino's Pizza, First Solar and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Target — The retailer rose 2.8% after Bank of America upgraded Target to buy from neutral. ResMed — The medtech device stock slipped 2% after a downgrade by RBC Capital Markets to sector perform from outperform. Plug Power — The battery stock added 1.2% after JPMorgan added the company to its positive catalyst watchlist, and highlighted potential near-term upside. First Solar — Stock in the solar panel maker added nearly 4% following an upgrade to overweight from Barclays, with analyst Christine Cho highlighting an attractive valuation. Domino's Pizza — Shares of the pizza delivery company slipped more than 3% on mixed third-quarter results.

Persons: ResMed, Christine Cho, Warby Parker, Janine Stichter, Jesse Pound, Michelle Fox, Pia Singh, Yun Li Organizations: Ford —, United Auto Workers, Target, Bank of America, Walgreens, Delta Air Lines, Delta, RBC Capital Markets, RBC, JPMorgan, Barclays, BTIG, BMO Capital Markets Locations: Kentucky, U.S

☆ Covid exits corporate earnings with a bump
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 11, 2023. Revenue at the pizza delivery company was down about 4% from the same period last year, as restaurants in the U.S. sold less. Walgreens, meanwhile, lost $180 million in the quarter, while citing significantly lower revenue from Covid tests and vaccines. Meanwhile, Delta delivered record revenue for the quarter, with 30% earnings growth year-on-year, and is quickly repaying debt it took on during the chaos of 2020. While there’s no room for complacency about future shocks, third-quarter earnings might provide a bookend to a strange, turbulent time.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Delta, Robert Cyran, John Foley, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Reuters, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Delta Air Lines, Revenue, Walgreens, Air, X, Ericsson, Qantas, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Domino’s

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