Prospects for the $17 billion Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ) acquisition of Rite Aid ( RAD ) may have improved as Walgreens holds talks with the Federal Trade Commission over how many of the combined 13,000 stores it needs to sell to get approval for the deal. Walgreens is already auctioning off stores in areas with high volumes of Walgreens and Rite Aid stores, according to a report from the New York Post. Walgreens shares fell 1.5% to 82.51 at the close on the stock market today. Rite Aid shares gained 2.4% to 7.19. Rite Aid had hit a post-deal announcement low on Tuesday. The talks could be a sign that the FTC is looking more favorably on the deal, which has been in doubt as federal regulators have stopped some major mergers recently, including the Staples ( SPLS )- Office Depot ( ODP ) deal. Oilfield service provider Halliburton ( HAL ) also scrapped its purchase of Baker Hughes ( BHI ) over regulatory concerns.