The merger of pharmacy chain Rite Aid with grocery store giant Albertsons has cleared a key U.S. antitrust regulatory hurdle, keeping the deal on a path to approval later this year. In the case of the Rite Aid-Albertsons deal, the news from government regulators is a good sign. In all, Walgreens is buying 1,932 stores and three distributions centers from Rite Aid for nearly $4.4 billion in cash. “We remain focused on combining our two organizations to drive growth, profitability and long-term shareholder value.”The deal still faces approval of Rite Aid shareholders. "We will be setting a date and time for a special shareholder meeting in the coming months," a Rite Aid spokeswoman said Thursday.

Source: Forbes March 29, 2018 16:00 UTC