Reports: Safeway acquisition valued at more than $40 per share, potential suitors identified

NEW YORK — Bloomberg on Thursday lined up the potential suitors in discussion with Safeway on a sale of the grocer, citing people with knowledge of the matter. 

Firms CVC Capital Partners and Leonard Green & Partners are among the the interested parties, as is Cerberus Capital Management. 

KKR & Co. bought Safeway in 1986 for about $4.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The retailer went public in 1990.

According to reports, JP Morgan has valued Safeway at more than $40 per share, valuing the chain at approximately $9.6 billion with 239.4 million shares outstanding. In early-morning trading, shares of Safeway were up more than $2 to $36.65, which would represent an approximate 9% premium.