Walgreens to Purchase Alliance Boots Stake for $6.7B

Walgreens said it will spend $6.7 billion to buy a stake in health and beauty retailer Alliance Boots, the Kansas City Star reports. The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain plans to spend about $4 billion in cash and more than 83 million shares for a 45 percent ownership stake in the Swiss company. Alliance Boots operates more than 3,300 retail stores in 11 countries. Walgreens has the option to purchase the rest of Alliance Boots in about three years in a deal valued at about $9.5 billion.