DAILY UPDATE: Walgreens, Healthcare Fraud and Opioids as Stock Markets Hurt

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Wentworth said the pharmacy chain Walgreens will shutter a significant share of its 8,600 locations in the US. The closures are part of a broader attempt to boost the ailing company, which also includes reducing its stake in the primary care business VillageMD. Wentworth said the company can reassign most employees instead of conducting layoffs. Shares cratered yesterday after Walgreens whiffed on Wall Street’s earnings projections due to weak consumer spending.

And, read how some counties reduced opioid overdose deaths during the pandemic. (Politico)

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What’s up

  • Oliveda International, which makes beauty products from olive oil, rose 38.33% for no apparent reason. Maybe people just really like the feel of extra virgin olive oil on their skin?
  • Infinera popped 16.38% after Nokia announced it would acquire the telecommunications hardware manufacturer for $2.3 billion.
  • Synchrony Financial rose 6.17% after a Baird analyst initiated coverage of the financial services company with an outperform rating.
  • Regional banking stocks rose on the hopes that a good PCE reading means a better chance of the Fed cutting rates soon. Regions Financial rose 3.83%, while Citizens Financial Group rose 3.16%.

What’s down

A late round of selling in the Treasury market sent yields to fresh highs as the day ended so here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) dipped 22.39 points (0.41%) to 5,460.48; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 45.20 points (0.12%) to 39,118.86; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) lost 126.08 points (0.71%) to 17,732.6.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield climbed nine basis points to 4.38%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) moved up slightly to 12.43.

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Nearly 200 people have been charged for their roles in various health care fraud schemes across the U.S. that federal authorities say amounted to over $2.7 billion in intended losses, the Justice Department announced. Attorney General Merrick Garland said charges against 193 people, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 different federal districts. The defendants were charged over a two-week sweep involving numerous law enforcement agencies nationwide, resulting in the seizure of more than “$231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets,” according to Garland.

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WALGREENS: Quarterly Dividend Cuts

By Staff Reporters

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Walgreens doled out some tough medicine to its investors this week when it cut its quarterly dividend to shareholders nearly in half, in a move to conserve cash and strengthen its long-term financial position, according to CEO Tim Wentworth.

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Illinois-based Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA), which operates one of the largest US drugstore chains, on Thursday declared a quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share, a reduction from 48 cents per share the previous quarter. The dividend will be payable on March 12th.

The move will allow Walgreens to increase cash flow and free up capital “to invest in sustainable growth initiatives in our pharmacy and healthcare businesses, which we believe will ultimately improve shareholder value,” Wentworth said in a statement.

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