Gross loss and adjusted gross loss were each $21 million. Shields gross profit, driven by further growth at existing partnerships and expanding margins, was more than offset by growth investments at VillageMD. As of the end of the third quarter, VillageMD had 315 total clinics open, an increase of 97 clinics compared to the year-ago quarter.
Third quarter SG&A was $213 million, and adjusted SG&A was $108 million reflecting the two acquisitions, as well as continued investments in the Walgreens Health organically-developed business. Adjusted SG&A excludes certain costs related to stock compensation expense and amortization of acquired intangible assets. Operating loss was $234 million. Adjusted operating loss was $129 million.
Conference Call
WBA will hold a conference call to discuss the third quarter results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today, 2022. The conference call will be simulcast through the WBA investor relations website at: http://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com. A replay of the conference call will be archived on the website for 12 months after the call.
*All references to net earnings are to net earnings attributable to WBA and all references to EPS are to diluted EPS attributable to WBA.
**“Adjusted,” “constant currency” and free cash flow amounts are non-GAAP financial measures. See the appendix to this release for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation to the most closely correlated GAAP measure.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, estimates of and goals for future operating, financial and tax performance and results, including our fiscal year 2022 guidance, our long-term growth algorithm and related assumptions and drivers, as well as forward-looking statements concerning the expected execution and effect of our business strategies, including the potential impacts on our business of the spread and impacts of COVID-19, our cost-savings and growth initiatives, including statements relating to our expected cost savings under our Transformational Cost Management and expansion of our Walgreens Health segment, including the expected closing of our CareCentrix transaction. All statements in the future tense and all statements accompanied by words such as “expect,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “can,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “aim,” continue,” “transform,” “accelerate,” “model,” “long-term,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “possible,” “assume,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known or unknown, that could cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated or anticipated.
These risks, assumptions and uncertainties include those described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021, as amended, and in other documents that we file or furnish with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materializes, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements we make or that are made on our behalf are qualified by these cautionary statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.
We do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
Please refer to the supplemental information presented below for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure and related disclosures.
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