Kroger has agreed to pay $110 million to resolve a lawsuit by the state of Kentucky alleging the supermarket chain's pharmacies helped fuel a deadly opioid epidemic by flooding its communities with hundreds of millions of doses of addictive painkillers.
Shares of grocery retailer Albertsons (ACI) rose Wednesday morning after the company reported better third-quarter earnings than analysts had expected, while sales fell just short of estimates.
Kroger's NYSE: KR attempted takeover of Albertson's NYSE: ACI failed, leaving Albertson's investors wondering what would come next and Kroger's in an envious position. Although there is a risk of litigation and the potential for a $600 million termination fee, it is small potatoes to the balance sheet improvement, capital position and returns.
KR's $5 billion ASR program represents a strong step in boosting shareholder value and demonstrates its robust financial health.
Albertsons faces daunting challenges as a stand-alone company.
Albertsons is poised to sue for their deal termination fee which, if obtained, would most likely kill any chance for a future deal. ACI was priced on the merger closing and now remains very undervalued. Kroger has its merits as well, and is also undervalued and in a much better financial position on the balance sheet than Albertsons.
Kroger's (KR) proposed acquisition of Albertsons (ACI) was officially blocked this week after federal judges ruled that the merger would violate consumer protection laws and reduce competition.
The Federal Trade Commission sued Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, accusing the company of illegal price discrimination. Southern's is the largest U.S. distributor of wine and spirits, and is the tenth largest privately held company in the nation.
KR terminates its merger deal with ACI. The company looks forward to resuming its share repurchases and authorizes a new program.
Kroger Company KR disclosed the termination of its merger agreement with Albertsons Companies, Inc. ACI following a preliminary injunction by the U.S. District Court in Oregon.
Free from the financial burdens of trying to buy rival Albertsons, shares of supermarket giant Kroger were sitting at new highs on Thursday.
Kroger (KR) shares rose Thursday morning after the grocery chain laid out its plans for the future now that its proposed merger with Albertsons (ACI) has been called off, including a new $7.5 billion stock buyback plan.