Amazon is buying Whole Foods.
The online giant said Friday it was buying the high-end grocer for $42 a share in an all-cash deal, valuing the company at $13.7 billion.
Shares of the grocer were trading at $33.06 before the deal was announced, so the deal represents a 27% premium on its Thursday closing price.
“Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a press release. “Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting, and nourishing customers for nearly four decades — they're doing an amazing job, and we want that to continue.”
The activist investor Jana Partners took a 9% stake i