Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) jumped Monday after Bloomberg reported that private equity firm KKR (NYSE:KKR) has formally made an offer to buy the international pharmacy giant, citing people familiar with the matter.
Walgreens has been weighing whether to take the company private in what would be the largest leveraged buyout in history.
KKR has a history with the retailer. In 2007, it bought Alliance Boots in partnership with Stefano Pessina, then the executive chairman of Alliance Boots, and other investors.
Media reports last week had it that KKR was one of the firms looking at a deal to take Walgreens private. KKR has a history with the retailer.
Meantime, on a more seasonal note, with efforts to stop the flu in its tracks, new data released today by Walgreens is a strong reminder that now is the time to roll up your sleeve and get your annual flu shot if you haven’t already.
The first monthly report from the Walgreens Flu Index® for October shows increased flu activity in Louisiana and Nevada compared to this time last year, as well as activity in several southern states including: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas.
Launched six years ago, Walgreens Flu Index is an online, interactive tool to view flu activity across markets and states in the U.S., including Puerto Rico.
In addition to the top markets and states, the Flu Index also ranks the markets and states experiencing the greatest gains in activity on a week-over-week basis.
Shares in WBA jumped $3.19, or 5.4%, to $62.43, in Monday’s first hour, while those for KKR demurred 16 cents to $28.96
