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 CHICAGO (AP) - Despite a mild flu season that kept many people out of doctors' offices and pharmacies, Walgreen Co. on Monday said its earnings rose 7 percent during the second quarter thanks to strong holiday merchandise sales.
The news sent the Deerfield, Ill.-based company's shares up 65 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $45.02 on the New York Stock Exchange, where they have traded in a 52-week range of $40.98 to $49.01.
Walgreen's earnings increased to $523.5 million, or 51 cents per share, for the three months that ended Feb. 28 from $490.9 million, or 48 cents per share, a year earlier. The latest quarter included stock option expenses, while the year-ago period was boosted by a gain from litigation settlements.
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