Walgreens Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend
DEERFIELD, Ill., Jan. 9, 2008 - The board of directors of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) declared a regular quarterly dividend of 9.5 cents per share, payable March 12, 2008, to shareholders of record Feb. 19, 2008.
Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain, earlier reported sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2008, ended Nov. 30, 2007, of $14 billion, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier. Net earnings for the quarter were up 5.5 percent from a year ago to a record $456 million.
Walgreens operates 6,148 drugstores in 49 states and Puerto Rico. The company plans to open 550 new drugstores in fiscal 2008, with a net increase of more than 475 stores after relocations and closings.
Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages 136 convenient care clinics inside drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc. and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC.
(Please note: Stock exchanges typically set the ex-dividend date two business days before the shareholder-of-record date. This means if you purchase stock on the ex-dividend date or after, you will not receive the next dividend payment. If you purchase before the ex-dividend date, you will receive the dividend.)
