ALBERTSONS DEMANDS $9.3 BILLION FROM KROGER

Albertsons asked a Delaware judge for more than $9.3 billion in damages from Kroger over their collapsed $24.6 billion merger, arguing Kroger failed to use "best efforts" to win antitrust approval. The claim bundles a $600 million termination fee and roughly $75 million in interest on top of lost shareholder value, as $ACI and $KR head into a two-week trial starting later this month.