Republic Services Looks to Buy Allied Waste: WSJ

Trash company Republic Services is in talks to acquire competitor Allied Waste Industriesfor as much as $16 a share, or $7 billion, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal.

The acquisition, which would have a premium of about 6.6 percent over Allied's Friday closing price, would unite the No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. waste haulers to compete with industry leader Waste Management.

Neither company returned calls for comment on the story.