Buying opportunity in CVS after Walgreens earnings bombCVS is pulling back in sympathy with Walgreens after WBA earnings were a dud. However, the adverse impact on Walgreens sales was "almost entirely from the company's non-U.S. businesses," according to the company's report. CVS operates almost exclusively in the United States, with 9,750 US locations and just 150 internationally. This suggests that CVS should be relatively insulated from the fall-off in international demand that Walgreens saw.
CVS is in almost every way a better company than Walgreens. It has better analyst ratings, better financial health, and a much better valuation in terms of PEG ratio. Its dividend yield and dividend growth are lower, but its growth plan has been more aggressive, with the rollout of HealthHub stores and telehealth services continuing on schedule amidst the pandemic. Walgreens has lagged behind CVS in its plans to add healthcare clinics to its retail stores. CVS's relationship with UPS may prove an additional tailwind amidst the pandemic. Walgreens partners with UPS's smaller competitor, FedEx.
