The company's free cash flow has doubled over the last five years to $5.1 billion and its dividend has grown at compound annual rate of 18.7% over the last decade.
Even better, Walgreens could be close to getting approval for its acquisition of Rite Aid (NYSE:
RAD), a deal that will boost its dominance of the retail pharmacy market and bring a very important piece to its healthcare delivery strategy.
Walgreens controls 19% of the U.S. retail pharmacy market, roughly equal to competitor CVS Caremark (NYSE:
CVS), and the acquisition of Rite Aid will put Walgreens in the lead by several percentage points. The acquisition calls for selling or closing up to 1,000 stores, an opportunity for Walgreens to improve profitability as it closes non-performing locations. Management expects the merger to close in the second half of 2016 and to be accretive to earnings in the first year, with synergies of up to $1 billion.
Beyond its dominance at home, Walgreens also controls the largest global pharmaceutical and distribution network in the world, with wholesale coverage in 19 countries. The company is building its market presence in China with two joint venture companies, Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals and Nanjing Pharmaceutical.
Revenue climbed 35% last year and net income more than doubled on a consolidated basis. Pharmacy sales jumped 9.3% even as pressure on reimbursement rates and drug prices weighed on the industry. Online pharmacy orders increased 65% on a year-over-year basis as the company built out its virtual storefront.