Shares in Japan’s Cocokara Fine Inc jumped nearly 7% on Wednesday after a media report that it was in talks to be acquired by a larger rival to create the country’s biggest discount drugstore chain with $9.4 billion in annual sales.
The Nikkei newspaper reported that Cocokara is negotiating a merger with Matsumoto Kiyoshi Holdings (3088.T), which started as a mom-and-pop pharmacy in the 1930s and has grown rapidly through aggressive store openings and acquisitions.
The two companies were not immediately available to comment.
A merged company will have 1 trillion yen ($9.4 billion) in annual sales, topping the sector leader Welcia Holdings (3141.T).
Shares in Cocokara Fine surged to their highest since November 2018, while MatsumotoKiyoshi shares rose 0.6%, in line with the broader market.
Widely known as “Matsukiyo”, Matsumoto Kiyoshi has offered heavy discounts and also expanded into snacks, soft drinks, and liquor, dealing a heavy blow to the country’s convenience stores and supermarkets.
Source: Reuters.com