Mars $36 Billion Kellanova Deal Waved Ahead by US Regulator (1)

Mars Inc.’s $36 billion takeover of snack maker Kellanova was given the green light by the US Federal Trade Commission on the same day European Union regulators opened up a lengthy probe of the deal.

The head of antitrust enforcement at the Washington-based agency said a review of the deal found that it “does not meet the standard for an anticompetitive merger.”

“Commission staff closely reviewed every aspect of this transaction, including both specific product markets and potential portfolio effects from the acquisition,” Daniel Guarnera said in a statement late Wednesday. “They turned over every stone needed to arrive ...