CVS CEO: Longs purchase to boost Calif presence

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp (CVS.N) will be a "leading player" in Southern and Central California after its planned $2.9 billion acquisition of Longs Drug Stores Corp LDG.N, CVS Chief Executive Tom Ryan said on a conference call with analysts Tuesday.

Through the deal, CVS will buy Longs' 521 retail drugstores in California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona as well as its Rx America subsidiary.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)