Aetna nears deal to buy Humana for about $34 billion: sources

(Reuters) - U.S health insurer AETNA (AET.NY)Inc is nearing an agreement to buy rival HUMANA (HUM.NY)Inc for about $34 billion in a cash and stock deal, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

One of the people said Aetna's offer would value Humana at about $230 per share and could be announced as early as Friday.

The offer, if it goes through, would make it the largest deal in the insurance industry since Anthem Inc bought WellPoint in 2004 for $16.6 billion.

Anthem last month said it is pursuing Cigna Corp despite that company's rejection of its offers. Sources have previously told Reuters that Cigna was also vying for Humana.

The $230 per share offer is at a premium of nearly 23 percent to Humana's close on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.

(Reporting by Rosmi Shaji and Aurindom Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Wills)

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