Mergers and Acquisitions

Michael Foods, one of the largest players in the U.S. egg industry, is being sold by one private equity owner to another. The buyer is the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs, the companies said Friday, in a deal that values Michael Foods at $1.7 bill...

On the heels of the buyout news from Rubio’s Restaurants Inc., Keybanc Capital Markets analyst Brad Ludington has offered up three possibly tantalizing meals for the next hungry private-equity firm. Ludington said in a report Wednesday that he is con...

ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced today that it has acquired Elan Nutrition, a privately-held formulator and manufacturer of snack and nutrition bars based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Financial terms of the transaction, which closed today, were not...

The rival buyout offer received by CKE Restaurants Inc. this week was from private-equity firm Apollo Management, Reuters reported Thursday.   CKE, the Carpinteria, Calif.-based parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains, has until April 27 to evalua...

Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND) announced today that it has received notice of early termination of the antitrust waiting period for its pending acquisition of Kettle Foods, and now anticipates the transaction will close by March 31, 2010. Based on t...

The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) and Basic American Foods today announced the sale of and a licensing agreement for Hungry Jack(R) brand potato products that will allow Basic American Foods to expand its retail presence in the potato business. The...

CKE Restaurants' $928 million buyout offer last month from a private-equity firm has sparked speculation that more suitors will line up for the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. parent, according to sources familiar with the restaurant M&A environment. One...

Shearer’s Foods, Inc., a leading producer and distributor of high quality branded, contract pack and private label seasoned snack foods, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Snack Alliance, Inc. and its Canadian affiliate.

CKE Restaurants Inc., the parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains, said Friday it has agreed to a $918 million acquisition offer from private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners.The deal includes the assumption of $309 million in debt, leaving the ...

Shares of Diamond Foods Inc. (DMND) dropped 10% Friday, a day after the snack-nuts producer announced a major acquisition that will require it to sell stock and take on debt.Late Thursday, Diamond said it agreed to acquire Kettle Foods from Lion Capita...

Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND), today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kettle Foods, makers of premium potato chips, from Lion Capital LLP for $615 million in cash. Pursuant to the agreement, Diamond will acquire Kett...

Bloomberg/Businessweek reports that Lance Inc. and Diamond Foods Inc. are among the bidders for premium potato-chip maker Kettle Foods, referring to people familiar with the matter.PepsiCo Inc. is also bidding, said the people, who asked not to be name...

Wall Street rumours that the owners of Norwich-based Kettle Foods are preparing to put the business up for sale were dismissed yesterday as “speculation”.There were reports in the United States that Kettle's owner, London-based private-equity firm Lio...

A new wave of deal making is occurring in the consumer aisle.November was the biggest month in over a year for deals involving consumer-products and food and drinks firms, with $12.54 billion in acquisitions.In recent weeks, a closely-held chip-maker, ...

Snyder's of Hanover and Utz Quality Foods announced today their decision to discontinue pursuit of the merger between the two snack food companies. After receiving word late last week that the first and second filing had not been cleared by the Federal...

Carl E. Lee, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Snyder’s of Hanover, recently announced the company’s intention to acquire Utz Quality Foods, Inc., pending clearance from the Federal Trade Commission.“We are pleased to announce that two mark...

Dow Chemical Co., the largest U.S. chemical maker, won U.S. approval to sell its Morton Salt business to K+S AG for $1.68 billion.

Troyer Potato Products Inc., which bills itself as the nation’s only grower-owned chip maker, has agreed to sell itself to York-based Bickel’s Snack Foods Inc.