DealReporter had reported Jan. 18 that Harris Teeter was looking at a possible sale.
Kroger (NYSE: KR), of course, isnt saying whether or not its interested in buying Harris Teeter, a chain of about 200 stores along the East Coast from Florida to Delaware. Kroger has more than 2,400 stores in 31 states. But it doesnt have any in Florida, Maryland or Delaware, and it has just 16 stores in North Carolina, according to its most recent Fact Book.
And DealReporter pointed out that Kroger just increased its shelf registration to issue stocks and bonds by $1.8 billion. That now means its registered to sell up to $2.5 billion in securities. That could pave the way for a sizable acquisition.
i found 1 Harris Teeters in florida located way up north on the Eastern Georgia boarder. Kroger does have several stores located in the panhandle under some name. not sure if they are full stores or just C stores
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
there seems to be another suitor for this company besides kroger ===================================================
Feb 22, 2013 Ahold Reportedly Eying Harris Teeter Purchase
Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc., which has retained JPMorgan Chase & Co. to explore its options in regard to putting itself up for sale, has snared the attention of retail conglomerate Ahold, according to a report in Bloomberg Businessweek, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The companies involved have declined to comment on the matter. The report said that Amsterdam-based Ahold has contacted New York-based JPMorgan for additional information on the sale process, but hasnt yet made a formal bid. We regard Harris Teeter as a likely deal for Ahold, Rabobank analyst Patrick Roquas wrote in a report cited by Bloomberg. Acquiring Harris Teeter would facilitate Aholds further expansion in the southern United States and Washington, D.C., added BMO Capital Markets analyst Karen Short in the article. Short also mentioned Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. and Cincinnatis Kroger Co. as possible buyers. Other brokerages, among them Barclays, were skeptical that Ahold would buy all of Harris Teeter, positing that returning proceeds from the recent sale of its stake in Swedish grocer ICA to its shareholders would be a better move, according to Bloomberg. Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter, which operates more 200 stores in the Southeast, said it hired JPMorgan after being approached by two private equity firms, which it declined to identify.