CVS, Aetna draw closer to closing $69B combination

Shares of CVS Health and Aetna are rising with the companies now saying they expect to close their $69 billion tie-up later this week.

The companies say in regulatory filings that they have the final regulatory approval needed and expect to close on or around Wednesday.

CVS Health Corp. had told investors earlier this month that it expected to close the deal for the nation's third-largest health insurer before Thanksgiving. But its shares slipped last week after the drugstore chain and pharmacy benefit manager said it still lacked approval from two states.

The companies plan to dive deeper into providing care with help from CVS's nearly 10,000 locations.

Shares of CVS Health advanced nearly 4 percent, while Aetna Inc. climbed more than 2 percent in morning trading.