Oct 2 (Reuters) - Metro Inc MRU.TO , Canada's third biggest food retailer, said on Monday it would buy pharmacy chain Jean Coutu Group PJCa.TO for C$4.5 billion ($3.60 billion).
Metro Inc, which had last week said it was in talks to buy Jean Coutu, offered C$24.50 per share for the Varennes, Québec-based company. Coutu operates drugstores in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario, and it acquired a generic drug maker in 2007. Metro operates more than 600 food stores across Canada.
BMO Capital Markets and CIBC World Markets were the financial advisers to Metro and Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP its legal counsel. Bank Financial Inc was the financial adviser for Jean Coutu and Stikeman Elliott LLP was its legal counsel. ($1 = 1.2515 Canadian dollars)