On the stock market since 1980, it operates in the world of health and science. It has 193,000 employees. Now — the numbers.
The company closed last year at a loss: costs ran above sales. The picture changes only if spending is reined in.
No real growth (5% a year). Red columns mark years that ended in a loss.
Before the clock runs out, either sales must climb sharply or new money must come in. This is the most critical line in the whole picture.
Executive selling isn’t always bad news; people sell for personal reasons too. Still, the thin buying side is worth noting.
An investor who bought at the very peak is down 79% today. The business is the same; what changed most is the price — and the expectations — the market pins on it.
The company sells $148B a year; the problem isn’t sales — it’s costs running above that number.
It met or beat analyst expectations in 7 of the last 8 quarters — consistency is a promise kept.
The average analyst price target is $23.57 — 97% above today’s price.
A loss of $8.6B against $148B in annual sales.
At the current pace of spending, the cash lasts less than a year. After that, the company needs to find new money.
On our five-subject report card, WBA sits behind the class. A low grade doesn’t mean “doomed” — it means “big claim, small proof.”
The takeaway: WBA has solid sales but closed last year at a loss. The road back to profit runs through spending discipline.