*By Justin Chermol* Shares of Conagra Brands and Pinnacle Foods dropped Wednesday after the companies announced an $11 billion merger that would create a giant in the frozen food industry. The cash and stock deal, which brings together the Healthy Choice and Bird’s Eye, values Pinnacle at $68 a share, only a few cents higher than where the stock closed on Tuesday. With grocery giants like Walmart, Kroger, and Costco, putting pressure on packaged food makers to reduce prices, companies like Conagra and Pinnacle have been forced to consolidate. Further weighing on these companies is the increased awareness of health and nutrition over the past decade, which has driven down sales of packaged, frozen, non-perishable foods. But both Conagra and Pinnacle have recently debuted healthier frozen food options and reduced prices, helping grow sales in their most recent quarters. A combined company would have annual revenues of about $11 billion.

Share:
More In Business
Tony Awards draw best audience in 6 years for CBS
The Tony Awards on Sunday lured 4.85 million viewers to CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years. CBS says Monday that Nielsen data shows the telecast — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — scored a 38% increase over last year’s 3.53 million viewers. That’s the largest audience for the Tonys since 2019, when the telecast that year nabbed 5.4 million viewers and “Hadestown” was crowned best new musical. The latest version also had to compete with the second game of the NBA Finals, between the Thunder and Pacers,
Apple unveils software redesign while reeling from AI missteps
After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech’s pivotal race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, Apple tried to regain its footing Monday during a developers conference that focused mostly on incremental advances and cosmetic changes in its technology.
DA: Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing said he ‘had it coming’
Six weeks before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel last December, Luigi Mangione mused about rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” and expressed that killing the executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming."
Load More