Walgreens Cut to Junk by Moody’s Amid Healthcare Expansion (3)

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. had its senior unsecured credit rating cut to junk by Moody’s Investors Service, with the credit grader citing the drugstore chain’s high debt relative to earnings and risks associated with its push to offer more healthcare services.

The downgrade to Ba2 — two steps into high-yield — reflects “Walgreens’ stubbornly high financial leverage, weak interest coverage and pressured free cash flow that Moody’s believes will be sustained over the next 12-18 months,” senior credit officer Chedly Louis wrote in a note Monday.

Walgreens shares fell as much as 2.9% following the downgrade, erasing an earlier ...