UPDATE: CVS Announces Deal In Principle with SEC, Says Penalty Has Been Full Reserved

 CVS Caremark Corporation CVS confirmed today that it has reached an agreement in principle with the staff of the Boston Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to resolve an investigation by the SEC of certain events that occurred in 2009.  This investigation, which CVS Caremark previously disclosed after it began in 2011, has focused on events that occurred in the third and fourth quarters of 2009, including certain public disclosures made by the Company, transactions in the Company's securities by certain current and former employees and certain aspects of the purchase accounting adjustment related to the October 2008 Longs Drug Stores acquisition. The agreement in principle was reached following extensive discussions with the SEC over the last several months. The settlement remains subject to completion of final documentation and approval by the Commission and federal court. The settlement will be entered into by the Company on a "no admit or deny" basis and will resolve a number of alleged violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including certain anti-fraud provisions of those statutes. Under the terms of the agreement in principle, CVS Caremark will pay a $20 million civil penalty, which has been fully reserved in CVS Caremark's financial statements. The settlement will not require CVS Caremark to restate its earnings for any reporting period.