THE WHAT? Walgreens Boots Alliance is said to be testing the waters in advance of a potential sale of its UK-based pharmacy chain, Boots. The drugstore giant first explored a sale of the retailer in 2022 but abandoned the idea after failing to attract sufficiently high enough bids.

THE DETAILS According to a report published by Bloomberg, WBA is yet to kick off a formal sale process but is in early-stage discussions with prospective buyers.

THE WHY? WBA has been exploring strategic alternatives for the UK high street stalwart for two years, from a sale to a spin-off via IPO. With finance markets revived after the post pandemic slump, WBA is presumably hoping it can achieve a sale price closer to its ideal.