14:42 ET--Kroger is one of the most mentioned companies in the U.S. across all news items in the last 12 hours, according to Factiva data. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block Kroger's $25 billion bid for Albertsons, saying the deal would lead to higher food prices and lower wages for workers. The FTC said a divestiture proposal by the companies was inadequate and included "a hodgepodge" of unconnected assets. Kroger said it has "a proven track record of lowering prices" and said the FTC's decision "only strengthens larger, non-unionized retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon." Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva. (josh.becerman@wsj.com)


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-26-24 1457ET