Louisville-based health insurer Humana may be taken over by rival Aetna, according to a report Tuesday in a business journal.
Investors.com reported that Aetna could offer as much as $200 shares for Humana. Aetna is also reportedly considering another insurer, Cigna, for merger possibilities.
The report said:
Following an investor meeting with Aetna, Leerink Partners analyst Anagha Gupte said a deal is likely and that "cheap debt" makes either an Aetna-Humana merger or an Aetna-Cigna pairing "meaningfully accretive possibilities and imminent," according to reports, with Aetna potentially offering $200 per share for Humana.
Humana is Louisville's largest publicly traded company by revenue, according to Greater Louisville Inc.
In an email, Humana spokesman Tom Noland declined to address the report, saying the company doesn't comment on "rumors or speculation."