Alliance Boots said today it was in good shape after its UK health and beauty business increased profits for the first time in five years.

The battle for retailing giant Alliance Boots looked over today after private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts floored its rival with an £11bn (€16.2bn) bid.

Health and beauty giant Alliance Boots today backed a £10.6bn (€15.6bn) takeover by its deputy chairman Stefano Pessina and private equity group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

Alliance Boots, the retail and wholesale drug group being eyed for takeover by private equity bidders, announced a raft of changes today that will see hundreds of jobs cut and its pharmacies rebranded in a £65m (€95.6m) million makeover.

Healthcare retailer and pharmaceutical giant Alliance Boots is reportedly being eyed for a potential takeover by private equity firm Terra Firma in a move which could spark an all-out bidding war for the group, a report said today.

BILLIONAIRE Stefano Pessina looks poised for an early breakthrough in his surprise £9.7 billion (€14.3bn) attempt to take Alliance Boots private.

The storm over the power of private equity funds is set to reignite with the news of a possible takeover of high street chain Boots.

Alliance Boots today said it had signed contracts for the sale of almost all of the pharmacies it put up for sale in the wake of its £7bn (€10.5bn) merger.

The London market gave up its early gains today as a busy corporate calendar failed to excite traders.

The London market tumbled into the red today as interest rate concerns returned to spook investors.

Newly-created pharmacy giant Alliance Boots, formed by the merger of Boots and Alliance UniChem, debuted on a weakening London market today.

Boots and Alliance UniChem began life as a single company today following their long-awaited merger to create a pharmacy giant with around 2,600 stores in the UK alone.

The London market maintained its strong run today as investors continued to draw encouragement from recent earnings updates in the US.

Co-operative Group became the UK’s fourth largest pharmacy chain today after announcing deals to buy two regional chemist busineses.

Bid interest in British Gas owner Centrica reared up again today as investors took a punt on the possibility of a takeover move from Russia’s Gazprom.

The FTSE 100 Index fell back below the 5700 mark today despite excitement over strong figures from Severn Trent and the proposed sale of airports operator BAA.

Around 100,000 Boots shareholders will have to stomach a dividend cut as part of life with merger partner Alliance UniChem, it was reported today.

Veteran supermarket boss Ken Morrison today outlined plans to stand down as chairman of the Morrisons chain in January 2008.

Health and beauty chain Boots geared up for its merger with Alliance UniChem by posting annual profits slightly ahead of expectations today.

The London market held its nerve today as the FTSE 100 Index took tentative steps back into positive territory after taking a battering in the previous two sessions.

The FTSE 100 Index hovered around the break-even point today despite a rally by a number of blue-chip stocks following a torrid two days trading.

Strong gains for Dixons owner DSG International and merger partners Boots and Alliance UniChem excited traders in an otherwise downbeat session today.

UNITED Drug could be on the verge of clinching an all-Ireland drug and pharmaceutical product distribution deal with the Boots chemist chain.

Strong gains for mining, oil and banking stocks powered the FTSE 100 Index back above the 6000 barrier today.

Mining companies led the FTSE 100 Index back above the 6000 mark as investors cheered strong annual results from the copper specialist Kazakhmys today.

Health and beauty chain Boots continued its recovery today by unveiling a surprise pick-up in sales for the last three months.

Healthcare group Alliance UniChem today predicted that growth in the UK pharmacy market would bounce back this year as it prepares to merge with rival Boots.

Disappointment at BP’s annual profits haul of more than £11 billion left the London market deep in the red today.

The proposed merger of Boots and Alliance UniChem overcame a major hurdle today after regulators gave the deal provisional clearance.

Shares in Boots jumped 4% today as investors pondered whether a private equity bidder could yet derail the retailer’s merger with Alliance UniChem.

Health and beauty retailer Boots said today it made good progress over Christmas after achieving underlying sales growth of 0.3%.

Losses by a string of miners sent the FTSE 100 Index sharply into reverse today.

A big week for the retail sector began positively today as healthy Christmas sales at camera specialist Jessops sparked investor interest in the owner of Dixons.

HEALTH and beauty retailer Boots the Chemist made profits of over €16 million in Ireland last year.

Retailers and insurers helped the FTSE 100 Index break through the 5700 landmark barrier today for the first time since July 2001.

The London market continued its good run today as mining and leisure stocks lifted the FTSE 100 Index to a fresh four-and-a-half year high.

Signs that retailers enjoyed a better-than-expected Christmas season helped push the FTSE 100 Index to a fresh four-year high today.

The FTSE 100 Index broke the 5600 barrier for the first time in four years today as hopes for a strong 2006 continued to build.

Pharmacy group Alliance UniChem today said its growth in the UK had slowed more than expected as it prepared for its landmark merger with Boots.

Progress by a string of utilities was not enough to cheer the rest of the London market today.

Catering giant Compass led the FTSE 100 Index tentatively forward today after the London market shrugged off early losses by banking and oil stocks.

UNITED Drug capped 20 years of successive earnings growth yesterday with a 16% rise in full-year profits to almost €50 million.

A negative reaction to results from retailer Sainsbury’s reflected the mood in the wider London market today.

Online gaming giant PartyGaming led the FTSE 100 Index further into positive territory today as comments from rival 888 cheered the sector.