I for one would welcome our new Dutch masters.
From Reuters Breakingviews, October 20:
Grocery deal could have European interloper
Good luck to Kroger and Albertsons (ACI.N) – U.S. lawmakers are already getting concerned about a deal. Late last week, the former said that it would purchase the latter for $25 billion, and U.S. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Senator Mike Lee were quick to say that they would hold a hearing to discuss the merger. A European interloper could make deal plans even harder.
Frans Muller, Chief Executive of Stop & Shop owner Ahold Delhaize (AD.AS), has made no secret of his desire to consolidate U.S. grocers. The Netherlands-based firm is already the fourth largest grocery chain. If it managed to cobble together a better offer than Kroger’s bid for Albertsons, it would become the second largest supermarket. Plane spotters tracked two Albertsons jets next to Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. base in Massachusetts in early August. Ahold declined to comment....
....MUCH MORE
