NEW YORK — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is still negotiating with the Federal Trade Commission to gain antitrust clearance for its $17 billion deal to acquire Rite Aid Corp., WBA executive vice chairman and chief executive officer Stefano Pessina said at the company’s annual shareholders meeting. “The FTC is doing its job. The process is
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) edged past Wall Street’s adjusted earnings per share forecast in its fiscal 2017 first quarter despite declined sales and net income. WBA also reported Thursday that it’s still working to finalize its $17 billion deal to acquire Rite Aid Corp. and continues to expect to complete the transaction
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred’s Inc. has adopted a shareholder rights plan, also known as a “poison pill,” after a hedge fund recently became the company’s single largest shareholder. Fred’s said Tuesday its board instituted the shareholder rights plan after observing “unusual and substantial activity in the company’s shares.” The discount and pharmacy retailer noted that
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. said slim reimbursement rates, new generic drugs and the ongoing antitrust talks for the merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) squeezed sales and earnings for its fiscal 2017 third quarter. Rite Aid said Thursday that for the third quarter ended Nov. 26, sales dipped 0.8% to $8.09 billion
DEERFIELD, Ill. — As talks roll on to gain regulatory clearance for its acquisition of Rite Aid Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) posted adjusted earnings for its fiscal 2016 fourth quarter and full year that topped Wall Street’s estimates. WBA said Thursday that GAAP net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance totaled $1.03 billion, or
DEERFIELD, Ill., and CAMP HILL, Pa. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Rite Aid Corp. are expanding the time frame for completing their planned $17.2 billion merger deal. WBA and Rite Aid said Thursday that they have extended the end date for the agreement to Jan. 27, 2017, from Oct. 27, 2016, and expect the
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) said it’s working on store divestiture scenarios with the Federal Trade Commission to gain clearance for its $17.2 billion deal to acquire Rite Aid Corp. WBA said Thursday that it and Rite Aid “remain actively engaged” in talks with the FTC as the regulator reviews the acquisition, which
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) saw sales and adjusted net earnings rise in its fiscal 2016 third quarter, with adjusted earnings per share exceeding Wall Street’s consensus forecast. WBA said Wednesday that its pending acquisition of Rite Aid Corp. remains on track for completion in the second half of this year, and it
Only days — or weeks — may remain until Walgreens Boots Alliance’s long-delayed acquisition of Rite Aid gets the go-ahead from the Federal Trade Commission. If and when that clearance comes, Rite Aid will officially become part of WBA, and the competition between the Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy drug chains will finally take form so
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. cited pressure in pharmacy reimbursement as it reported a net loss and fell short of Wall Street’s earnings forecast for its fiscal 2017 first quarter. Meanwhile, overall retail sales and same-store sales edged up for the quarter, and the EnvisionRx pharmacy benefit management business, acquired about a year
NEW YORK — Walgreens Boots Alliance’s deal to acquire Rite Aid and partnership with Valeant Pharmaceuticals will build on WBA’s strong start in its first full year as a unified company, executive vice chairman and CEO Stefano Pessina said here at the annual shareholders meeting. “I am happy to say that we are on track
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) topped Wall Street’s earnings projections for its fiscal 2016 first quarter. WBA said Thursday that for the first quarter ended Nov. 30, 2015, adjusted net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance were $1.13 billion, or $1.03 per diluted share, compared with $749 million, or 78 cents per diluted