Group 1 - Walgreens Boots Alliance shares increased by 7.6% amid reports of a potential take-private deal with Sycamore Partners [1][4] - The proposed deal price is between $11.30 and $11.40 per share, with financing from major banks being arranged [2][4] - Sycamore's plans may involve breaking Walgreens into three separate entities, each with distinct capital structures [3][5] Group 2 - The stock price has fluctuated significantly, trading as low as the low $8 range in December and nearly $13 in early January [6] - Current trading price is $11.02, indicating limited upside potential for investors, particularly for those not engaged in merger arbitrage [5][7] - The deal is not finalized, and there is a risk of talks faltering, which could lead to a significant drop in stock price if the deal collapses [5][7]

Walgreens Boots Alliance is on the verge of finalizing a deal with private-equity firm Sycamore Partners to take the embattled drugstore chain private in a transaction valued at approximately $10 billion, according to a report.Negotiations are in advanced stages, with both sides aiming to seal the agreement as soon as Thursday — though a last-minute hurdle could still delay or derail talks, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The deal is expected to involve Sycamore paying between $11.30 and $11.40 per sh ...

About this content About Josh Lamb After graduating from the University of Kent in the summer of 2022 with a degree in History, Josh joined Proactive later that year as a journalist in the UK editorial team. Josh has reported on a range of areas whilst at Proactive, including energy companies during a time of global crisis, aviation and airlines as the sector recovers from the pandemic, as well as covering economic, social and governance issues. Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and ...

 Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) was last seen up 7.1% at $10.99, amid news the embattled drugstore giant is nearing a $10 billion deal with private equity firm Sycamore Partners that would take it private, possibly as soon as Thursday. Per the Wall Street Journal, the firm would keep the core U.S. retail business and sell off or take public other parts of the company. Since the start of 2025, WBA is up 17.8%, cutting into its now 46.6% year-over-year deficit. The stock's record high of $97.30 was ...

Core Viewpoint - Walgreens is nearing a $10 billion deal to go private, which has resulted in an increase in its stock price [1] Group 1: Company Overview - The potential deal indicates a significant shift in Walgreens' strategy, moving towards privatization [1] - The stock price of Walgreens has risen in response to the news of the impending deal [1] Group 2: Financial Implications - The deal is valued at approximately $10 billion, highlighting the scale of the transaction [1] - The privatization could lead to changes in operational focus and financial restructuring for Walgreens [1]

Group 1 - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is nearing a $10 billion deal to sell itself to Sycamore Partners, a private-equity firm [1] - The deal would result in Walgreens being taken private and likely broken up [1] - The potential announcement of the deal could occur as soon as Thursday [1]

Group 1: Logitech International SA (LOGI) - LOGI shares are down 2.9%, trading at $98.24, following a downgrade to "underperform" from "neutral" by BofA Global Research due to recent struggles and tariff threats [1][2] - The stock recently attempted to break its three-year high of $105.65 but closed below its 20-day moving average for the first time since January, despite an 18.8% increase so far in 2025 [2] - Options traders are showing bullish sentiment with a 50-day call/put volume ratio of 31.05, which is higher than 98% of annual readings [3] Group 2: Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA) - WBA shares are down 3.8%, trading at $10.81, following a downgrade to "sell" from "hold" by Deutsche Bank due to high uncertainty, and the stock has a year-over-year deficit of 49.7% [1][3] - Despite a 15.5% year-to-date gain, WBA has faced overhead pressure at the $12 level, capping rallies since late January [3] - Options activity is notably bullish, with 28,000 calls traded, which is double the intraday average volume, compared to only 5,051 puts [4]

The Retail-Wholesale group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. MercadoLibre (MELI) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.MercadoLibre is a member of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This group includes 212 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector ...

Company Performance - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) ended the recent trading session at $11.23, showing a +1.72% increase from the previous day's closing price, outperforming the S&P 500 which fell by 1.59% [1] - Over the past month, WBA shares have decreased by 1.87%, underperforming the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 0.87% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.23% [2] Upcoming Earnings - The upcoming earnings release is highly anticipated, with projected EPS at $0.53, indicating a significant 55.83% decline compared to the same quarter last year. Revenue is expected to reach $38.07 billion, reflecting a 2.75% increase year-over-year [3] - For the full year, analysts expect earnings of $1.60 per share and revenue of $151.57 billion, representing changes of -44.44% and +2.65% respectively from the previous year [4] Analyst Estimates - Recent changes to analyst estimates suggest a positive outlook for WBA, with upward revisions indicating confidence in the company's performance and profit potential [5] - The Zacks Rank system, which assesses estimate changes, currently ranks WBA at 2 (Buy), with a 0.76% upward shift in the consensus EPS estimate over the past month [7] Valuation Metrics - WBA has a Forward P/E ratio of 6.9, which is higher than the industry average Forward P/E of 5.93, indicating a premium valuation [8] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.38, compared to the industry average PEG ratio of 0.83, suggesting that WBA's valuation considers its expected earnings growth [9] Industry Context - The Retail - Pharmacies and Drug Stores industry, part of the Retail-Wholesale sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 3, placing it in the top 2% of over 250 industries, indicating strong performance potential [10]

Core Viewpoint - Walgreens Boots Alliance shares experienced a notable increase due to news of a potential buyout by Sycamore Partners, despite broader market declines [1][3]. Group 1: Buyout Proposal - Sycamore Partners is proposing to split Walgreens into three separate entities: the main Walgreens pharmacy in the U.S., Boots pharmacy in the U.K., and specialty pharmaceutical unit Shields Health Solutions [2]. - Sycamore Partners appears to have secured the necessary financing for the proposed buyout [2]. Group 2: Market Reaction - Walgreens shares rose by as much as 7.3% before settling at a 2.2% gain, indicating a positive market reaction to the buyout rumors [1]. - Previous rumors of a buyout in December led to a spike in shares, but they retreated due to market volatility and lack of follow-through [3]. Group 3: Investment Considerations - Investors are cautioned against buying solely based on the potential buyout, as talks may not materialize [4]. - It is suggested that investors should consider the stabilization of Walgreens' earnings and the effectiveness of the turnaround plan under new CEO Tim Wentworth, who took over in late 2023 [4].