Shares of WK Kellogg Co., the cereal maker behind Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Rice Krispies, surged in premarket trading Thursday following overnight reports that Ferrero International SA is close to acquiring the company in a deal valued at around $3 billion.
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— zerohedge (@zerohedge) July 9, 2025
First reported by The Wall Street Journal, Ferrero is planning a North American expansion with the purchase of the breakfast cereal conglomerate. Already, Ferrero is the world's third-largest chocolate confectionery and previously acquired Nestlé's U.S. candy business, Fannie May, Wells Enterprises, and healthy snack brands like Eat Natural and FULFIL Nutrition.
WK Kellogg shares surged 57% in premarket trading on reports of the deal. The cereal division has struggled since its spin-off from Kellogg Company, facing slumping demand due to rising competition from private-label store brands.
Shares are flat on the year, with short interest in the stock about 17.9%, or about 10.9 million shares.
The deal comes as Kellogg slashed its annual sales guidance in May, with CEO Gary Pilnick warning of a "challenging operating environment" as consumers shift away from sugary foods and gravitate toward lower-cost, private-label cereal options.
Cereal makers have also come under increased scrutiny for their use of artificial food dyes. Goldman Sachs analysts recently noted a growing consumer pivot toward "better-for-you" products, driven by the rising momentum of the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) trend.
Bloomberg noted, "Ferrero has been making efforts to diversify both its products and geographic spread, in part to help it manage surging cocoa prices."
