Snickers maker Mars explores acquisition of Kellanova, sources say
Repeats with no change to headline or text
By Anirban Sen
Aug 4 (Reuters) -Family-owned food giant Mars, whose candy brands include M&M's and Snickers, is exploring a potential acquisition of Kellanova K.N, maker of snacks such as Cheez-It and Pringles, according to people familiar with the matter.
A deal would be one of the biggest ever in the packaged food sector, given Kellanova's market value of $22 billion, and test the appetite of U.S. regulators to allow consolidation in the sector.
Shares of Kellanova are up about 20% since it was spun off from Kellogg Co KLG.N last October but are still trading at a discount to some of its peers, such as Hershey HSY.N and Mondelez International MDLZ.O, making it a potential acquisition target.
There is no certainty that Kellanova will engage and pursue a deal with Mars, the sources said. Another suitor could also approach Kellanova, and it's possible that no deal with any party is reached, the sources added, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential.
Kellanova declined to comment, while spokespeople for Mars did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dealmaking in the packaged food sector has been robust as companies seek scale to weather the impact of price inflation and drug-loss drugs weighing on demand. But many of the deals have been smaller than the mega merger between Heinz and Kraft clinched almost a decade ago, as U.S. antitrust regulators have become more concerned about the impact of large deals on consumers.
Kellanova focuses on snacks, such as crackers, toaster pastries and cereal bars, as well as convenience foods such as ready-to-eat cereals, frozen waffles, veggie foods and noodles. It makes its products in 21 countries and markets them in more than 180 countries.
A family-owned business, Mars' consumer products include snacks and pet food. It also runs veterinary care centers and has a veterinary diagnostics business .
Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York
Additional reporting by Abigail Summerville in New York; editing by Diane Craft
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
