- Family-owned food giant Mars, whose candy brands include M&M's and Snickers, is exploring a potential acquisition of Kellanova, maker of snacks such as Cheez-It and Pringles, according to people familiar with the matter.
Shares of Kellanova are up about 20% since it was spun off from Kellogg Co last October but are still trading at a discount to some of its peers, such as Hershey and Mondelez International, making it a potential acquisition target. 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.
A family-owned business, Mars' consumer products include snacks and pet food. It also runs veterinary care centers and has a veterinary diagnostics business .Recession fears are gripping the market. Warren Buffett's Berkshire halved its Apple stake. Nvidia reportedly has delayed its next AI chip.In Luhansk, a Russian-held city in northeastern Ukraine, the Russia-appointed governor said Ukrainian forces fired 12 rockets at various targets, eight of which were intercepted.