Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA, ETR:W8A) shares are up 6.6% on a report that the US group is talking to potential buyers of its Boots arm.
Advisers have been hired and potential buyers are being sounded out over the £7 billion UK chemist chain, according to a Bloomberg report.
Earlier this year, Walgreens boss Tim Wentworth said a London listing for the UK pharmacy business was a possibility, reviving exit talks two years after a planned sale fell through.
Wentworth admitted "everything is on the table" when it comes to planning the next step for the UK chain, with the US group "evaluating all strategic options to drive sustainable long-term shareholder value".
In January 2022, Boots was put up for sale, with a £5 billion price tag attached, before the plans were abandoned by that summer, having failed to attract any buyers.
Boots was also planning to reduce its 2,200 UK stores to 1,900 by summer 2024.