date:Aug 20, 2014
excluding debt, topping a Dollar Tree Inc. offer last month for $8.5 billion. Family Dollars shares have soared past the current deal price, signaling that investors expect a higher bid to emerge.
If the dollar-store chains consolidate, it could create more competition for Wal-Marts push into neighborhood discount stores. Still, acquiring one of the companies would be a break with tradition for Wal-Mart, which doesnt typically buy rival chains in the US.
Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Ben