WSJ: WellChoice In Talks To Buy Oxford Health Plans
POSTED: 3:00 p.m. EDT April 5, 2004
UPDATED: 5:32 p.m. EDT April 6, 2004
NEW YORK -- Health insurer WellChoice, which has 4.6 million members in its health plans, is reportedly in
advanced talks to acquire Oxford Health Plans in an all-stock deal.
Exact terms of a transaction are not known, though one person
familiar with the situation says WellChoice, the largest health insurer in New York, has considered offering
Oxford shareholders a premium of around 25 percent.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a final price is sure to be
affected by recent movements in Oxford shares. Last week, those
shares rose 6 percent to $50.32 each. Oxford's
current $4.1 billion market capitalization is
just shy of its 52-week high.
WellChoice shares climbed nearly 5 percent last week, to $37.45, for a total market-cap of $3.1 billion.
The Journal reports that the two sides have spent months in
negotiations and things could fall apart at any moment.
Exact terms of a transaction are not known, though one person
familiar with the situation says WellChoice, the largest health insurer in New York, has considered offering
Oxford shareholders a premium of around 25 percent.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a final price is sure to be
affected by recent movements in Oxford shares. Last week, those
shares rose 6 percent to $50.32 each. Oxford's
current $4.1 billion market capitalization is
just shy of its 52-week high.
WellChoice shares climbed nearly 5 percent last week, to $37.45, for a total market-cap of $3.1 billion.
The Journal reports that the two sides have spent months in
negotiations and things could fall apart at any moment.
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