NEW YORK: Thomson Reuters has apologized for mistakenly publishing an earnings release from Office Depot that prematurely announced the office supplier's acquisition of OfficeMax.

Office Depot said Wednesday that it plans to buy OfficeMax for $1.19 billion. But hours before the official deal announcement, Office Depot accidentally released its fourth-quarter earnings on its website, which included details of the company's transaction with OfficeMax. The earnings release disappeared from Office Depot's website about an hour later, and an official news release ...