Recently, Walgreen (WAG) decided to acquire New York-based drugstore chain Duane Reade Holdings for a total enterprise value of $1.075 billion, including debt.

The transaction, expected to close in the current fiscal year (ending Aug 31), is yet to receive regulatory approvals. Duane Reade had unaudited net sales of $1.8 billion for the 12-month period ending Dec 26, 2009.

Walgreens will fund the purchase with its existing cash balance. At the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2010, the company had $2.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

Although Walgreens operates 7,162 stores, its presence in New York is not strong. Following the transaction, which includes 257 Duane Reade stores located in the New York City metropolitan area, Walgreen will become one of the leading players in the largest drugstore market in the US.

Walgreens expects the transaction to be dilutive to its earnings per share in the first 12 months

...

Kahzam Inc. provides web-based, multi-media driven platforms to associations and affinity groups. The company today announced it has acquired TeCOUP.com LLC, a provider of SMS Text Coupon Messaging utilizing patent-pending delivery services.

TeCOUP.com’s technology offers clients “next generation” access to advertising and communications through e-mails and text messaging.

“Our team couldn’t be happier with this new alliance. It broadens our opportunities on behalf of both current and future clients,” Jim Rinker, CEO and co-founder of TeCOUP stated in the press release. “Text messages sent to hand-held mobile phones represents the next wave in technology-based communications and advertising, and direct-to-cell-phone text-message advertising is the first new advertising medium since the creation of Web site-based advertising nearly two decades ago It provides advertisers an unprecedented ability to deliver an ad message in real time to millions of carefully-targeted and receptive opt-in cell phone owners including Kahzam’s association and affinity group clients.”

The timing

...

Skinvisible, Inc.’s licensee JD Nelson and Associates LLC. announced this morning that they have entered into a distribution agreement with Walgreens Company (NYSE:WAG), the nation’s largest retail drug store chain, for their new product, Safe4Hours(R) First Aid Antiseptic Skin Protectant. Currently being licensed by JD Nelson, this new product, which represents the first of JD Nelson’s product line extensions, was developed by Skinvisible using its patented Invisicare(R) technology which binds products to the skin, resisting both wash off and perspiration and providing a controlled release of the active ingredient.

Walgreens, with over 7,000 retail drugstore locations in the United States, will launch the product later this week. Available in both a one and two ounce size, the skin protectant promotes healing of minor cuts, scrapes and burns as well as prevents the spread of bacteria, including the super bug MRSA, a real health issue in hospitals and schools. It also protects

...

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts!

_______________________________________

FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com

Tuesday Dec. 8, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

**************************************************************

Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI) (OTC Bulletin Board: CVAT) announced its latest development the CaviGulation system, designed for physico-chemical reactions used in water treatment. With water well on its way to becoming one of the hottest commodities, an obvious solution is to take the salt out of seawater. Desalination technology has been around for thousands of years. CaviGulation - Cavitation Technologies’ Solution to the Water Crisis, Refining the Desalination Process

People’s United Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: PBCT) today announced it

...

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts!

_______________________________________

FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com

_______________________________________

Monday November 9, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

**************************************************************

Healthy Coffee International, Inc. (Pinksheets:HCEI) announced the addition of Mr. Michael Sharp to its team of sales leaders. A native of Florida, Mr. Sharp has over 20 years of combined experience in the network marketing business, representing three Multi Million Dollar MLM companies before moving to Japan. He has also worked as a motivational speaker for two large MLM companies, and was a former trainer with Disney World. His other list of activities include writing and publishing short stories for magazines and teaching the art of “secret selling”

...

• China Unicom also advised iPhones will be sold in China beginning in October.  Meanwhile, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) said iTunes' application downloads exceeded the 2 billion mark

• MBIA's (NYSE:MBI) main bond insurance unit was downgraded by S&P to non-investment grade status

• Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) revealed a new, high-end, ultra thin PC

• Cameron International (NYSE:CAM) reported a $500 million subsea equipment deal with Petrobras

• Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), offered high hopes for its Via Ready Brew instant coffee product, claiming it "perhaps the biggest opportunity" in the company's history, amid today's North American launch

• Walgreens' (NYSE:WAG) reported fiscal fourth quarter results of 47 cents ex-items, topping estimates of 39 cents, on sales of $15.7 billion

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) lifted price targets on several retailers, including conviction buys on Target (NYSE:TGT) and Macy's (NYSE:M)

• Citigroup (NYSE:C) started coverage of Dr. Pepper Snapple (NYSE:DPS) and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) with "buy" recommendations

• Bank of America

...

CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) Current share price $34.97

August 20, 2009 CVS by size and dollar volume is the leader in the drugstore marketplace, operating over 6,900 CVS/pharmacy stores in 44 states, the District of Columbia , and Puerto Rico . At year-end (Dec. 2008), they operated 6,923 drugstores, 560 MinuteClinic locations, 58 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 19 specialty mail order pharmacies, six mail service pharmacies, and CVS.com; and Caremark.com websites. CVS employs approximately 215,000 colleagues.

The top two major players in drugstore operations, CVS and Walgreens are on an expansion drive to either gain first place or locked in a struggle to retain the lead, so far CVS has held that position followed not to far behind by Walgreens.

Much of each company’s competitive edge comes from acquisitions, with the grand prize going to CVS for its insight in acquiring the well known Long Drug Store logo in August 2008. This acquisition

...

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Wednesday August 5, 2009

**************************************************************

Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), whose home care division is a national leader in providing home infusion and respiratory services, has entered into a joint venture with Vanderbilt Medical Center, a Nashville-based comprehensive healthcare facility and a major patient referral center for the mid-South. The joint venture will operate under the name Vanderbilt Home Care, affiliated with Walgreens Infusion and Respiratory Services, and will be located in Brentwood, Tenn.

Beeline, the workforce solutions business unit of MPS Group, Inc. (NYSE:MPS), today announced another Ariba certification. Having attained Ariba Ready Invoice and Payment certification, Beeline continued to work with its client base and Ariba to achieve

...

Home Diagnostics Inc. (HDIX) recently announced that it has received the honor of being added to the Russell 3000, Russell 2000 and Russell Global Indexes. As the name suggests, these indices rank top U.S. companies by market capitalization. The indices are used by investors, primarily institutions, as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies.

Home Diagnostics is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of blood glucose monitoring systems and disposable supplies for people with diabetes. The company sells its products through food and drug retailers, mass merchandisers, distributors, mail service providers and third-party payors in the United States and Latin America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and China.

Home Diagnostics addresses a large and expanding diabetes market ($7.0 billion, according to our estimates). Diabetes is a chronic life-threatening disease that is incurable. The goal of intensive blood glucose management is to achieve near-normal blood glucose levels without

...

Zevotek, Inc. (ZVTK.PK), an emerging provider of unique and innovative consumer products designed to help the world become more environmentally and economically efficient, is targeting a multi-billion dollar market with its Ionic Bulb Air Purifier. This bulb is an energy-efficient three-way light bulb that removes airborne pollutants and odors while providing energy-saving lighting.

Zevotek’s Ionic Bulb offers significant advantages over standard and fluorescent light bulbs. Not only does the Ionic Bulb use just a quarter of the wattage of standard light bulbs to produce the same amount of light, but it also lasts 10 times longer – providing noteable savings to consumers on electricity costs and light bulb expenses.

The company is currently focused on establishing retail markets and generating consumer interest through television / radio commercials, infomercials and print advertising. Zevotek’s customer base includes major retailers including Walgreens and Amazon.com, as well as

...