OREANDA-NEWS. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced that it has exercised warrants to purchase 22,696,912 shares of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC) common stock for an aggregate payment of approximately $1.17 billion. The transaction was funded using existing cash on hand.

After today’s exercise of these warrants, Walgreens Boots Alliance now owns 34,157,955 shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock, or 14.97 percent of AmerisourceBergen’s outstanding equity (based on shares outstanding as of 31 January 2016, adjusted to give effect to the exercise of these warrants). Walgreens Boots Alliance also continues to hold warrants to purchase an additional 22,696,912 shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock, which Walgreens Boots Alliance has the right to exercise beginning in March 2017.

Following today’s exercise of these warrants, Walgreens Boots Alliance intends to account for its investment in AmerisourceBergen using the equity method of accounting, subject to a two-month lag, with the net earnings attributable to its investment being classified within the operating income of the company’s Pharmaceutical Wholesale segment.

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

The company was created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014, bringing together two leading companies with iconic brands, complementary geographic footprints, shared values and a heritage of trusted health care services through pharmaceutical wholesaling and community pharmacy care, dating back more than 100 years.

The company employs over 370,000* people and has a presence in more than 25* countries; it is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination in the USA and Europe. Including its equity method investments, Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail with over 13,100* stores in 11* countries. The company includes one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks with over 350* distribution centers delivering to more than 200,000** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in 19* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.