Walgreens Boots Alliance Announces Agreement with Securities and Exchange Commission

DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) announced today that the company has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to fully resolve an investigation into forward-looking financial goals and related disclosures by Walgreen Co. (Walgreens). The disclosures at issue were made prior to the merger with Alliance Boots and the establishment of Walgreens Boots Alliance on December 31, 2014.

DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) announced today that the company has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to fully resolve an investigation into forward-looking financial goals and related disclosures by Walgreen Co. (Walgreens). The disclosures at issue were made prior to the merger with Alliance Boots and the establishment of Walgreens Boots Alliance on December 31, 2014.

The settlement does not involve any of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s current officers or executives, nor does it allege that anyone acted intentionally or recklessly at any time.

In agreeing to the settlement, Walgreens Boots Alliance neither admits nor denies the SEC’s allegations that Walgreens and its then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and then Chief Financial Officer (CFO) acted negligently in connection with statements made in the June 2013, October 2013, December 2013 and March 2014 earnings calls, by failing to adequately disclose the increased risk to achieving certain of Walgreens previously stated fiscal 2016 financial goals. Following warnings in December 2013 and March 2014, Walgreens withdrew those fiscal 2016 goals in June 2014.

Pursuant to the agreement with the SEC, Walgreens Boots Alliance consented to the SEC’s issuance of an administrative order, and the company will pay a $34.5 million penalty, which has been fully reserved for, while the Walgreens then CEO and then CFO separately resolved the matter with the SEC.

Walgreens Boots Alliance cooperated fully with the SEC’s investigation and believes the agreement is in the best interest of the company.

Notes to Editors:

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. The company's heritage of trusted health care services through community pharmacy care and pharmaceutical wholesaling dates back more than 100 years.

Walgreens Boots Alliance is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination across the U.S. and Europe. Walgreens Boots Alliance and the companies in which it has equity method investments together have a presence in more than 25* countries and employ more than 385,000* people. The company is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail and, together with the companies in which it has equity method investments, has approximately 14,500** stores in 11* countries as well as one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks, with more than 390* distribution centers delivering to more than 230,000*** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in more than 20* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.

The company’s 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, Soap & Glory, Liz Earle, Sleek MakeUP and Botanics.

More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

* As of August 31, 2017, using publicly available information for AmerisourceBergen.
** As of June 28, 2018.
*** For 12 months ending August 31, 2017, using publicly available information for AmerisourceBergen.

(WBA-GEN)

 

Contacts

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Media Relations
USA / Brian Faith
+1 847 527 2210
or
Investor Relations
Gerald Gradwell and Ashish Kohli
+1 847 315 2922