Deadline draws near for HCA buyout

The deadline for a rival bid for HCA expires at midnight tonight and analysts say at this point, its unlikely anyone will compete with the current $33 billion bid. "I don't think anyone is going to jeopardize the (original) offer," Frank Morgan, a stock analyst with Jefferies & Co., told the Tennessean. In late June, HCA announced that it would be acquired by founder Thomas Frist Jr. and a group of investors for $33 billion dollars, making it the largest buyout in Wall Street history. Early on, Blackstone Group indicated that it may challenge the investor's bid for the hospital giant, but it seems as though they were scared away by the price tag. The only other potential player for a bidding war was BC partners--there were reports that the group had plans to bid, but nothing ever came of it.

For more on the HCA buyout:
- read this report from the Tennessean

PLUS: When the deal was first announced, blogger Tony Chen made some predictions about what will become of HCA. Blog

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