(Reuters) – Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:) has shelved plans for a potential initial public offering of its British pharmacy chain Boots as sale talks continue, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the pharmacy chain is currently exploring other options for Boots and has continued informal talks with potential buyers, including private equity firms, in recent weeks.
Discussions are ongoing and Walgreens has not made a final decision on its future ownership of Boots, the report said.
Bloomberg News reported last month that any deal with Boots would be worth around £7 billion.
In 2022, Walgreens abandoned preliminary plans to sell the division. However, late last year discussions about a Boots spin-off, including the possibility of an IPO in London, resumed.
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