Nabisco Group Holdings

Financier Carl Icahn offered to buy Nabisco Group Holdings Corp. for about $5.2 billion, a day after the company said it may sell itself or its stake in the maker of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers. Icahn said he offered $16 a share, a 29% premium to Monday's closing price, if Nabisco Group were to agree to the sale. The company controls 80.6% of Nabisco Holdings Corp., the No. 1 U.S. cookie and cracker company.

Financier Carl Icahn raised his offer for Nabisco Group Holdings and said late Thursday that he could increase it even more. But the bids reportedly made by Philip Morris Cos. and a venture of France's Danone and Britain's Cadbury Schweppes for food maker Nabisco Holdings disappointed Wall Street. Nabisco Holdings, which makes Ritz crackers, Oreo cookies and LifeSavers candy, is 80.6% owned by Nabisco Group.

French food and water company Danone formally jumped into the bidding for Nabisco Group Holdings, saying it had entered preliminary discussions to buy the U.S. food maker. With the confirmation, the Paris-based company joined financier Carl Icahn and an estimated dozen other prospective bidders for the holding group, which owns 80% of operating company Nabisco Holdings Corp. Icahn, who has been trying to take control of the company sporadically since 1995, sweetened his latest bid to $6.

French food and water company Danone formally jumped into the bidding for Nabisco Group Holdings, saying it had entered preliminary discussions to buy the U.S. food maker. With the confirmation, the Paris-based company joined financier Carl Icahn and an estimated dozen other prospective bidders for the holding group, which owns 80% of operating company Nabisco Holdings Corp. Icahn, who has been trying to take control of the company sporadically since 1995, sweetened his latest bid to $6.

Financier Carl Icahn raised his offer for Nabisco Group Holdings and said late Thursday that he could increase it even more. But the bids reportedly made by Philip Morris Cos. and a venture of France's Danone and Britain's Cadbury Schweppes for food maker Nabisco Holdings disappointed Wall Street. Nabisco Holdings, which makes Ritz crackers, Oreo cookies and LifeSavers candy, is 80.6% owned by Nabisco Group.

* Philip Morris Cos. and Nabisco Holdings Corp. received a request for additional information from the Federal Trade Commission regarding Philip Morris' proposed $18.9-billion purchase of the snacks and cookie maker. On the NYSE, Philip Morris rose 19 cents to close at $32.19, while Nabisco Holdings fell 31 cents to $53.63, and its parent, Nabisco Group Holdings Corp., fell 13 cents to $28.31.

The Federal Trade Commission approved the sale of Nabisco Holdings Corp. to Philip Morris Cos. on the condition the firms make five divestitures in overlapping product lines. The companies must sell Royal Brand gelatin dessert mix, Royal Brand dry mix pudding, Royal Brand no-bake dessert and Davis & Fleischmann's baking powder and Icebreaker mints. The divestitures must be completed within 10 business days of the time they complete the merger. Shareholders of both firms approved the deal Oct.

RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp.'s largest shareholder, financier Carl Icahn, sold his 8% stake in the company as it split into separately traded food and tobacco businesses. Icahn, who for four years had tried to wrest control of RJR, pocketed a $130-million profit from selling his 25.7 million shares at $31.87 per share minutes before the close of trading Monday. Icahn's sale comes as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc., the No. 2 U.S.

Brokerage Merrill Lynch on Thursday added fuel to speculation that the U.S. food industry is poised for more consolidation, naming cereal and beverage company Quaker Oats (OAT) and pet food giant Ralston Purina (RAL) as prime takeover targets for European shoppers. Merrill's report on potential food targets came on the heels of last week's $18.

Nabisco Group Holdings Corp., whose shares have almost doubled since financier Carl Icahn began a takeover attempt five weeks ago, said Friday that other groups may bid for the company, its snack unit or other assets. "We've received lots of interest," said spokesman Hank Sandbach, who declined to give additional specifics. Nabisco Group last month said it will consider options such as selling itself or its only asset: an 80.5% stake in Nabisco Holdings Corp.

Financier Carl Icahn offered to buy Nabisco Group Holdings Corp. for about $5.2 billion, a day after the company said it may sell itself or its stake in the maker of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers. Icahn said he offered $16 a share, a 29% premium to Monday's closing price, if Nabisco Group were to agree to the sale. The company controls 80.6% of Nabisco Holdings Corp., the No. 1 U.S. cookie and cracker company.

Trinity Industries Inc., the largest U.S. maker of railroad cars, said financier Carl Icahn intends to buy more than $15 million of its stock but less than 10% of the shares outstanding. Based on Friday's closing price of $19.50, a $15-million investment would give Icahn 769,231 shares, or 2.1% of the company's outstanding stock. Shares of Dallas-based Trinity rose $1.28 to close at $20.78 on the NYSE. The shares had fallen 39% in a year.