FTC Again Delays Whole Foods Case For More Settlement Talks

"WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday imposed an additional 30-day delay in its antitrust challenge to Whole Foods Market Inc.'s (WFMI) 2007 acquisition of Wild Oats Markets Inc. so the parties can continue to engage in settlement talks.

Last week, the FTC issued a brief order that withdrew its merger challenge for five business days. That order was due to expire Wednesday night. The commission's challenge is now on hold until March 6.

"We look forward to continuing our discussions with Whole Foods to determine whether we can reach a mutually agreeable settlement that would be in the best interest of consumers," said David Wales, the chief competition enforcer at the FTC."

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