Retail Roundup: 9 Fresh M&A Rumors

It can be hard to keep up with ever-changing M&A rumors; here's the situation for nine companies worth tracking.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ANF

This clothing retailer is reportedly the target of a joint acquisition by American Eagle Outfitters AEO and Cerberus Capital Management. To the surprise of several analysts, Express, Inc. EXPR and other private equity firms are also rumored to be in talks with Abercrombie.

BJ’S WHOLESALE CLUB, INC.

BJ’s Wholesale Club put itself up for sale in April, and sources have said that Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN may be interested, according to the New York Post. An acquisition would give the e-commerce giant a boost in its expansion into brick-and-mortar stores.

Deckers Outdoor Corp DECK

Deckers announced in late April that its board of directors was reviewing a broad range of strategic alternatives to increase stockholder value, including a sale or merger.

Jimmy Choo

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd KORS has found itself the odd one out after months of M&A talks between itself, Coach Inc COH and Kate Spade & Co KATE. With the confirmation of a Kate Spade takeover by Coach, Michael Kors may be looking overseas for a new target, speculated to be Jimmy Choo. The British designer footwear company has been looking for a buyer, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

Lululemon Athletica inc. LULU

Rumors first started swirling in November that Lululemon might be an attractive buy for Nike Inc NKE or Under Armour Inc UAA, but were revived after a Q4 fiscal 2017 earnings report at the end of March showing gains across the board. Alternately, Under Armour could see itself merging with or being bought by Lululemon. Founder and former CEO Chip Wilson urged Lululemon via a bus stop ad to buy Under Armour.

Macy’s Inc. M

Hudson’s Bay was moving to buy Macy’s, but completion of the deal seems unlikely. The Canadian department store company was reported to be struggling to put together the funding needed to meet Macy’s high asking price. Separately, Macy’s executive chairman Terry Lundgren appeared on CNBC, saying the company is always looking for potential mergers and acquisitions.

Rite Aid Corporation RAD

The long-running effort by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA to buy Rite Aid may finally be coming to a conclusion. Walgreens and Rite Aid recently said they have met the FTC’s compliance requirements, Forbes reported. As of May 8, the FTC had 60 days to decide on the purchase.

RH RH — Formerly Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. WSM is reported to be pursuing an acquisition of Restoration Hardware. Not much is known about the potential deal, but Deutsche Bank said a purchase would be “highly accretive” to Williams-Sonoma.

Wayfair Inc W

Wayfair shares were trading up on May 1 under speculation of a Wal-Mart Stores Inc WMT takeover. About a week later, Bank of America Corp BAC upgraded Wayfair from Hold to Buy.

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