"Should any regulatory challenge to the merger succeed, or should the parties abandon the transaction, Albertsons would have to continue to compete with other grocery stores, a goal that its decision to enrich its shareholders to the tune of $4 billion will have made significantly more difficult to accomplish," the letter said.
In a statement, Albertsons said the merger announcement and special dividend mark the successful completion of a strategic review begun in February of the company’s future. The company had nearly $29 billion in assets at the end of September, including $3.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents.