DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 45.75 cents per share, unchanged from the previous quarter and an increase of 4 percent from the year-ago quarter. The dividend is payable December 12, 2019
Walgreens Boots Alliance Exercises Warrants to Purchase AmerisourceBergen Shares
DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced that it has exercised warrants to purchase 22,696,912 shares of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC) common stock for an aggregate payment of approximately $1.17 billion. The transaction was funded using existing cash on hand.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced that it has exercised warrants to purchase 22,696,912 shares of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC) common stock for an aggregate payment of approximately $1.17 billion. The transaction was funded using existing cash on hand.
After today’s exercise of these warrants, Walgreens Boots Alliance now owns 34,157,955 shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock, or 14.97 percent of AmerisourceBergen’s outstanding equity (based on shares outstanding as of 31 January 2016, adjusted to give effect to the exercise of these warrants). Walgreens Boots Alliance also continues to hold warrants to purchase an additional 22,696,912 shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock, which Walgreens Boots Alliance has the right to exercise beginning in March 2017.
Following today’s exercise of these warrants, Walgreens Boots Alliance intends to account for its investment in AmerisourceBergen using the equity method of accounting, subject to a two-month lag, with the net earnings attributable to its investment being classified within the operating income of the company’s Pharmaceutical Wholesale segment.
Notes to Editors:
About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.
The company was created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014, bringing together two leading companies with iconic brands, complementary geographic footprints, shared values and a heritage of trusted health care services through pharmaceutical wholesaling and community pharmacy care, dating back more than 100 years.
The company employs over 370,000* people and has a presence in more than 25* countries; it is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination in the USA and Europe. Including its equity method investments, Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail with over 13,100* stores in 11* countries. The company includes one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks with over 350* distribution centers delivering to more than 200,000** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in 19* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.
Its portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Botanics, Liz Earle and Soap & Glory. More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.
* As at 31 August 2015 including equity method investments
** For 12 months ended 31 August 2015 including equity method investments
(WBA-GEN)
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including those described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending 31 August 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in other documents that we file or furnish with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by law, we do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
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