Is Chico's a buyout target?

Speculation that Fort Myers-based women's retailer Chico's FAS might be acquired has always been rampant.

The subject is constant fodder on investor chat boards, especially when the discussion centers on executive stock options. The company's stock is publicly traded (symbol: CHS).

But a recent story that appeared in dealReporter.com suggested Chico's might be an attractive target for private-equity firms, Reuters reported two days before Christmas.

That sent Chico's stock up 7% on Dec. 23. The company's stock hit a high of $11.23 that day and has remained in that range since.

Reuters says analysts cited Chico's most recent earnings miss and product discounting as reasons for the company's relatively low but attractive price.