Federal Judge Blocks $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Grocery Merger.

The Federal Trade Commission notched a victory in its efforts against the supermarket merger, which it sought to block over concerns about harm to shoppers and workers.

'A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked what would be the biggest grocery store merger in U.S. history, siding with the Federal Trade Commission in its lawsuit seeking to halt the deal.

The preliminary injunction issued by Judge Adrienne Nelson marks a win for federal regulators who have argued that Kroger’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons, a rival grocery chain, would risk reducing competition at the expense of consumers and workers.

Her ruling, which came about three months after a hearing that featured testimony from top executives and economic experts, put the merger on shaky ground as it heads to the F.T.C.’s internal administrative process, which could determine the fate of the deal. The two companies are also defending the merger in two other lawsuits filed in state courts.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/business/kroger-albertsons-merger-ftc.html