Whirlpool's takeover of Maytag is apparently likely to get the thumbs-down from the Department of Justice on antitrust grounds, according to rumor. "Lawyers in the department's antitrust division 'have made it clear' to the antitrust chief, Thomas Barnett, that they believe the $1.7 billion deal would hurt competition, said the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity."
L'Oreal is buying the Body Shop retail chain, which will presumably help their distribution, and also help to further blur the line between retail and manufacturer, as we commented on, just a few days ago.
ConAgra seems to be going through some tough times, with sales down 46% (!) since 2001. They're responding by cutting dividends and selling a bunch of brands: "ConAgra ... said last month that it will sell its Butterball turkey and Armour meat brands. The company, which has 70 brands, said Thursday that it will sell its Singleton seafood unit, which had $290 million in sales last year, and the Swissrose cheese unit, which had $200 million in sales." On the plus side, the company is planning to bump up advertising by 21%, concentrating on stronger brands.
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