A federal judge has ruled against Kroger ’s $25 billion takeover bid for Albertsons , granting a preliminary injunction blocking the deal.
After holding a more than three-week “mini-trial” in August and September, Judge Adrienne Nelson decided the Federal Trade Commission’s case to stop the deal was “likely to succeed.” She also granted the order to block the merger until the agency’s in-house judge decides for or against the deal.
“Plaintiffs (the FTC) are likely to succeed on the merits and the equities weigh in favor of an injunction. Accordingly, plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction is granted,” Nelson wrote in her decision.
The FTC applauded the decision, saying it was good for consumers:
“Today’s win protects competition in the grocery market, which will prevent prices from rising even more,” spokesman Douglas Farrar said in a statement. “(It) makes it clear that strong, reality-based antitrust enforcement delivers real results for consumers, workers, and small businesses.”