Albertsons, Kroger CEOs to defend $25 billion merger to skeptical U.S. senators By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Merchants work as screens show the buying and selling info for Kroger Co and Albertsons Cos Inc. on the ground of the New York Inventory Change (NYSE) in New York Metropolis, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photograph

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Prime executives at Kroger (NYSE:) Co and Albertsons Firms Inc are anticipated to face powerful questions on Tuesday from lawmakers who fear the grocers’ deliberate $25 billion merger will push up meals costs at a time when inflation is a priority.

Kroger Chief Govt Rodney McMullen and Albertsons’ chief, Vivek Sankaran, will go earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, a few of whose members have already criticized the deal.

Senators Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate antitrust panel, and Richard Blumenthal have been amongst those that signed a letter to Federal Commerce Fee Chair Lina Khan, saying the merger “raises appreciable antitrust considerations.”

The businesses, realizing the deal can be controversial and that antitrust enforcement has change into harder, supplied an aggressive plan aimed toward resolving considerations after they introduced the deal, which might carry almost 5,000 shops below one company umbrella, starting from Safeway to Ralphs and Fred Meyer.

The businesses have mentioned they anticipate to promote between 100 and 375 shops to allay authorities considerations. Ideally, they wish to discover consumers for the amenities however might additionally put them into a brand new firm that may be owned by Albertsons’ shareholders. UBS has mentioned it believes the plan will fulfill antitrust enforcers.

This plan might power the FTC, which is probing the deal to verify it’s authorized below antitrust regulation, to not solely show in court docket that the transaction is against the law however that the proposed treatment is insufficient.

Walmart (NYSE:) dominates the U.S. grocery market.

The businesses might also draw hearth on Tuesday for a extensively criticized plan to present Albertsons’ shareholders a $4 billion dividend cost. A Washington state court docket put that plan on maintain with the following listening to set for Dec. 9. Individually, the attorneys normal of Washington, D.C., California and Illinois have additionally sued to cease that cost, arguing it could weaken the corporate’s means to compete.