Deals

Here's What Wall Street Thinks of Walgreens Deal Speculation

  • Analysts question the value of a Walgreens-Amerisource deal
  • Walgreens already has a JV and owns a stake of Amerisource
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. may be making its own game-changing move after a Wall Street Journal reportBloomberg Terminal late yesterday said Walgreens had made an early approach to a drug distributor, AmerisourceBergen Corp. The speculated move follows on the heels of CVS Health Corp’s “revolutionary” play for Aetna Inc., which combined the pharmacy with a health insurer.

The health-care sector, and pharmacies in particular, are hoping to fend off the much speculated entry of Amazon.com Inc. into the pharmacy space. Amazon has yet to announce a definitive move. So far, it has only revealed an alliance with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., which promises to attack what Warren Buffett called the “hungry tapeworm” of American healthcare.