Dow Jones Newswires | Walgreen Co. said its same-store sales
declined 0.2 percent in April, breaking a two-month streak of
increases.  Overall, sales increased 5.9 percent to $5.68 billion,
helped 2.2
percentage points by its recent Duane Reade acquisition. Duane Reade
stores aren’t included in same-store results.

Last month’s result was lowered 0.7 percentage point because of an earlier Easter this year and was boosted by 0.2 point because of calendar day shifts. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had forecast a same-store sales drop of 0.3 percent.

Pharmacy same-store sales increased 1.1 percent, less than analysts’ forecast of a 1.5 percent jump. Front-end same-store sales declined 2.6 percent, while analysts had forecast a 3.8 percent drop.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 2.6 percent.

Walgreen has seen weaker discretionary sales in the front end of the store recently. In March, the company said its fiscal second-quarter earnings rose 4.6 percent as it took fewer restructuring charges and posted stronger margins, though same-store sales fell 0.2 percent for the quarter.

Shares declined 0.8 percent to $34.86 premarket. As of Tuesday’s close, the stock had risen 12 percent in the past year