specialty productivity. Shields grew 27 percent, driven by recent contract wins and further expansion of existing partnerships.
Operating loss was $436 million, flat versus the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating loss, which excludes certain costs
related to stock compensation expense and amortization of acquired intangible assets, was $96 million compared to $152 million in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA loss of $39 million improved by $84 million versus the prior year quarter reflecting growth across all businesses and cost discipline.
Conference Call
WBA will hold a conference call to discuss the first quarter
results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today, January 4, 2024. A live simulcast as well as related presentation materials will be available through WBA’s investor relations website at: https://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com. A
replay of the conference will be archived on the website for at least 12 months after the event.
*All references to net earnings or net loss are to net earnings or
net loss attributable to WBA, and all references to EPS are to diluted EPS attributable to WBA.
**“Adjusted,” “constant currency” and free cash
flow amounts are non-GAAP financial measures. Measures identified as “comparable” constitute key performance indicators. See the appendix to this release for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation to the most closely correlated GAAP measure, and key performance indicators.
*** The Company uses Adjusted operating income (loss) as its principal measure of segment performance as it enhances the Company’s ability to compare past
financial performance with current performance and analyze underlying segment performance and trends. The consolidated WBA measure is not determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the most
directly comparable GAAP measure, consolidated operating income. See the appendix to this release for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation to the most closely correlated GAAP
measure.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, estimates of and goals for future operating, financial and tax performance and results, including the impact of opioid related claims and litigation
settlements, our fiscal year 2024 guidance, outlook and targets and related assumptions and drivers, as well as forward-looking statements concerning the expected execution and effect of our business strategies, including the potential impacts on
our business of COVID-19, the impact of adverse global macroeconomic conditions caused by factors including, among others, inflation, high interest rates, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and
pandemics like COVID-19 on our operations and financial results, the financial performance of our equity method investees, including Cencora, the influence of certain holidays and seasonality, our cost-savings
and growth initiatives, including statements relating to our expected cost savings under our Transformational Cost Management Program and expansion and future operating and financial results of our U.S. Healthcare segment, including our long-term
sales targets and profitability expectations. All statements in the future tense and all statements accompanied by words such as “expect,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would,” “could,” “should,”
“can,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “aim,” continue,” “transform,” “accelerate,”
“model,” “long-term,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “possible,”
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