Dive Brief:

• Coraopolis, PA-based Dick’s Sporting Goods is in talks about possibly taking the company private, Reuters is reporting.

• The retailer is speaking with a number of firms about a potential buyout, but the talks are private and the company didn’t comment officially on the matter.

• Shares rose on the rumors. Dick’s is considered ripe for a buyout because its stock has been underperforming compared to its rivals in the past year.

Dive Insight:

Dick’s Sporting Goods, founded in 1948, is one of a handful of retailers that many analysts consider ripe for a buyout, including Best Buy and Pier 1 Imports. The sporting goods retailer has about 600 stores in the U.S. Though unsurprising, this news is preliminary, and things could go either way.