Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA, ETR:W8A), the US-based pharmacy giant and owner of Boots, is reportedly in talks to sell itself to Sycamore Partners, a New York private equity firm.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal could be finalised early next year, raising questions about the future of Boots, the UK’s best-known high-street pharmacy chain.
Walgreens, which operates over 8,700 US stores and 2,000 Boots outlets in the UK, has struggled in recent years. In its last quarter, it posted a $3 billion quarterly net loss and said it planned to close 1,200 US shops.
After a near 18% jump in the share price after hours on Tuesday, Walgreens is worth just a smidge over $9 billion.