COVID-19 took another bite out of Walgreens Boots Alliance quarterly numbers but this time left behind better-than-expected earnings.The drugstore chain said Thursday that it made $373 million in the final quarter of fiscal 2020 after losing $1.7 billion the previous quarter, when millions of shoppers stayed home to avoid the rapidly spreading pandemic.
COVID-19 still hurt. The company estimated that the pandemic’s impact shaved about $520 million from its operating income. But Walgreens also grew sales and prescriptions at its established U.S.
stores and saw an improved performance in the United Kingdom.Overall, the company booked adjusted earnings of $1.02 per share in the three-month window that ended Aug.