RITE AID

NEW YORK — Walgreens might be willing to acquire Rite Aid if it can't settle an ongoing contractual dispute with one of the country's largest pharmacy benefit managers, Walgreens' former CEO said in a conference call with investors Monday.

Interviewed by Credit Suisse analyst Edward Kelly, former Walgreens CEO Jeff Rein suggested that Walgreens' board "would have the stomach" to buy Rite Aid if it doesn't reach an agreement with Express Scripts, as buying Rite Aid's nearly 4,700 stores would give Walgreens considerable leverage against the PBM.

NEW YORK — A takeover by Walgreens is "highly unlikely," but Rite Aid shares could stay past the $2 mark due to the company's fundamentals, an analyst said Thursday.

NEW YORK — Shares of Rite Aid crossed the $2 mark Wednesday afternoon following analyst speculation about the prospects of a takeover by Walgreens, according to published reports.

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CAMP HILL. Pa. — Rite Aid same-store sales increased by 3.1% in February, including a 1.9% increase in front-end comps and a 3.7% increase in pharmacy comps, the company said Thursday.

Total sales for the 4,667-store chain were $2.55 billion, a 2.3% increase over February 2011's $2.5 billion.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — In the wake of tornadoes that hit communities in Kentucky on Friday, retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid has donated to a local Red Cross chapter to assist victims.

The company said Sunday that the Rite Aid Foundation, its philanthropic arm, had donated $15,000 to the Bluegrass chapter of the American Red Cross. The foundation also will provide supplies and items to assist with disaster relief efforts. Eli Lilly Foundation also pledged to donate $100,000 to the Red Cross.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A Rite Aid category manager has won a top award from a trade association representing candy makers.

Rite Aid said Monday that Val Stansfield had received the 2012 Confectionary Leadership Award from the National Confectioners Association. The award is given to people who demonstrate "exemplary leadership behaviors in business planning and collaboration," the company said. Stansfield was 1-of-3 recipients at the NCA's State of the Industry Conference last week in Miami.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is teaming up with a new technology vendor for dispensing drugs under a special federal discount program, the company said Tuesday.

Rite Aid announced that it had selected CaptureRx as its preferred vendor and administrator in dispensing drugs under 340B, a Federal Public Health Service program that allows health centers and hospitals to purchase outpatient drugs for less than half of their cost on the commercial market.