Purchase Would Create Third-Largest U.S. Drug Store Chain and Support Healthcare Growth Strategy

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. --  Fred's Inc. ("Fred's Pharmacy" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: FRED) today announced that the Company has signed an agreement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) and Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) to purchase 865 stores and certain assets related to store operations located across the eastern and western United States for $950 million in cash. Closing of the transaction is expected to take several months after Walgreens Boots Alliance's proposed acquisition of Rite Aid is completed and is subject to approval by the Federal Trade Commission as well as customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Shareholder approval is not required. 

Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (“Mattress Firm” or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MFRM), the nation's largest mattress retailer, today announced that the Company and Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. (“Steinhoff”) (FRANKFURT: SNH) have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Steinhoff will, subject to the successful consummation of a cash tender offer and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, acquire Mattress Firm for $64.00 per share in cash, which represents a premium of 115% over the Company’s closing stock price of $29.74 on Friday, August 5, 2016. This represents a total equity value of approximately $2.4 billion and an enterprise value of approximately $3.8 billion, including net debt. The merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Mattress Firm board of directors and the management and supervisory boards of Steinhoff, will create the world’s largest multi-brand mattress retail distribution network.

BELLEVUE, Wash. and NEW YORK, July 25, 2016  -- Outerwall Inc. ("Outerwall" or the "Company") (OUTR) today announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with affiliates of certain funds (the "Apollo Funds") managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Apollo") (APO), a leading global alternative investment manager, pursuant to which the Apollo Funds will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Outerwall common stock for $52.00 per share in cash.

 

The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 51 percent over Outerwall's closing stock price on March 14, 2016, immediately prior to the announcement that the Company's Board of Directors initiated a thorough and comprehensive process to explore strategic and financial alternatives to maximize shareholder value. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by Outerwall's Board of Directors, has a total enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, including net debt.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., July 06, 2016 -- Forward Industries, Inc. (FORD), a designer and distributor of custom carry and protective solutions, today announced that they have signed a three and a half year extension to their existing  supply agreement with a Global Healthcare provider to supply Global custom carry cases for their diabetic products through January 2020.

 

Terry Wise, Chief Executive Officer of Forward Industries, stated, “This agreement from another major player in the industry emphatically reflects Forward’s ability to consistently provide a quality compliant product on a timely basis. I am extremely delighted that we continue to uphold our extremely high quality performance ratings from all our multi-national clients – and despite a very challenging, highly regulated and competitive market landscape we continue to be the preferred supplier of choice within the diabetics’ custom cases industry.”