News on Mergers and Acquisitions

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...

According to Plimsoll Publishing Ltd, the UK’s leading financial research company, 43 of the top 264 businesses in the UK Potatoes industry are woefully exposed to being snapped up as a “bargain acquisition”. Their research suggests companies that have...

The Telegraph reports a number of food groups are thought to have lodged bids for the whole group – which delivered sales of £150m in 2008 – or just the UK or US assets, which are each worth roughly half of the combined value.United Biscuits, which has...

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...

Prospective buyers of Kettle Foods are to attend site visits at the company's Norwich headquarters in the UK over the next few weeks, according to reports.Several blue-chip food groups are believed to be among those companies planning to visit with an ...

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...

Cargill announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Goodman Fielder's Commercial Edible Fats and Oils business. The A$ 240 million purchase includes the Commercial business' four fats and oils refining assets located in West Foots...

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...

Rising profits and turnover at Kettle Foods have fuelled speculation that its private equity owners will put the business up for sale.City speculation has suggested that Lion Capital, which bought Norwich-based Kettle for about £170m in 2006, will put ...

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.

K+S of Germany agreed Thursday to buy Morton Salt from Dow Chemical Co. for $1.68 billion to become the world's biggest salt producer and reduce its dependence on potash fertilizer.