Walgreens backs out of Longs buyout offer
DEERFIELD, Ill. In yet another twist and turn to the ongoing tale of the sale of Longs Drugs, Walgreens announced late Wednesday, that it has withdrawn its bid.
“While we believe we made a compelling proposal for Longs, we do not believe it would be in the best interest of Walgreens shareholders, customers or employees to allow this situation to remain unresolved for an extended period of time,” stated Walgreens chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Rein. “Walgreens has a strong balance sheet and robust cash flow. We will continue to focus on strategic initiatives that will maximize value for our shareholders.”
CVS announced in mid-August that it plans to buy for $2.9 billion, including debt, Longs’ 521 retail locations in California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona, as well as its PBM services. On Sept. 5, the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act expired, satisfying a condition to the closing of CVS’ offer.
Looking to quash the deal that Longs management had already approved with CVS, Walgreens came forward at the 11th hour with an unsolicited, non-binding bid to buy Longs for nearly $3 billion in cash and debt assumption.
While Walgreens’ offer represented a $3.50 per share premium over the cash purchase price to be paid to Longs shareholders under the proposed acquisition by CVS, the bid from Walgreens immediately raised the eyebrows of several industry analysts given the likely regulatory hurdles and the potential for substantial store divestitures.
Longs rebuffed—twice—Walgreens’ unsolicited bid to acquire the chain but, up until now, Walgreens held its ground maintaining that it would continue to move forward was prepared to go directly to Longs’ stockholders.
“In light of your repeated refusal to accept our invitation to engage in a constructive dialogue that could lead to a mutually beneficial transaction, and the substantial deterioration in the national economic outlook over the past few weeks, we do not believe it would be in the best interests of the shareholders, customers or employees of either Walgreens or Longs to allow this situation to remain unresolved for an extended period of time,” stated Rein in a letter addressed to Longs chairman, president and chief executive officer Warren Bryant. “Accordingly, we have determined to accept the finality of your prior rejections of our Sept. 12 proposal and withdraw our proposal effective immediately.”