10:22 AM EDT, 05/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with additional details in the second paragraph, MT Newswires' requests for comment in the third paragraph.)

Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ) is seeking potential buyers for the 7 billion British pounds ($8.8 billion) Boots drugstore chain in the UK, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Walgreens plans to hold early-stage negotiations with the potential buyers but formal sale process has not started, the sources reportedly said.

Neither Walgreens nor Boots immediately responded to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

Walgreens shares were up 6.1% in recent trading.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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