Within a day of their $25 billion merger’s falling apart in court, Kroger and Albertsons were each planning to move forward with share repurchases to boost their stock prices and reward investors. America’s two largest grocery store operators had argued that they’d be better able to lower prices for shoppers by joining forces. On Wednesday, Albertsons terminated the deal and sued Kroger, alleging its erstwhile partner didn’t do enough to secure regulators’ blessing. The drama unfolded just as the federal government released new inflation data for November showing grocery prices continue to inch higher. Wall Street investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, Vanguard, BlackRock and billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate are the top owners of Kroger shares.

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Persons: they’d, Biden, Adrienne Nelson, ”, Kroger, didn’t, Warren Buffett’s, Neil Saunders, ’ ”, Albertsons ’, Seth Harris, Thomas Gremillion, Trump, ” Gremillion, Donald Trump’s, Andrew Ferguson, Lina Khan, Harris, “ Bacon Organizations: Kroger, Albertsons, Walmart, Costco, Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, Wednesday, ”, The Vanguard Group, Wall, Cerberus Capital Management, Vanguard, BlackRock, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, “, Biden, Northeastern University, Biden White, Consumer Federation of America, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Oregon, Seattle, BlackRock, Kittanning , Pennsylvania