COMPANIES US buy-out group KKR and Stefano Pessina are poised to table a £10.1bn ($20bn, €14.8bn) formal offer for Alliance Boots as early as next week after racing through their due diligence in the light of growing interest from rivals.
If successful, KKR, flanked by the executive deputy chairman of the company, will be the first private equity house to claim a FTSE 100 scalp. The deal would also be the largest European buy-out.
