Deals
Ahold, Delhaize Said Near Grocery Merger to Challenge Wal-Mart
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Royal Ahold NV and Delhaize Group, the Dutch and Belgian grocers, plan to announce a merger agreement as early as Wednesday to create the fifth-biggest U.S. supermarket retailer, said a person familiar with the talks.
The all-stock merger would leave Ahold in control of about 60 percent of the combined entity, said the person, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. Ahold Chief Executive Officer Dick Boer would lead the merged company, while Delhaize CEO Frans Muller will stay on and help oversee the integration, which aims for about 500 million euros ($558 million) in annual synergies, the person said.