Circle K Deal Machine Kicks Into High Gear With 7-Eleven Bid (2)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s takeover approach to the parent company of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain is the most ambitious idea yet by a company that was built on making one deal after another.

Couche-Tard confirmed Monday that it has made a “friendly, non-binding proposal” to Japan’s Seven & i Holdings Co., which had a stock market value of about $38 billion as of Monday’s close in Tokyo. There’s no guarantee any agreement can be reached, the company cautioned — and there are significant barriers to completing such a massive deal.

One of those barriers could be US antitrust ...