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AHOLD, Zaandam, The Netherlands, said it has filed a $3-billion shelf registration statement for administrative purposes only with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of itself and Ahold Finance USA, the financial arm of its U.S. affiliate. "If we decide to finance a future acquisition by issuing new stock, then doing the shelf registration in advance means we've done half the work,"

AHOLD, Zaandam, The Netherlands, said it has filed a $3-billion shelf registration statement for administrative purposes only with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of itself and Ahold Finance USA, the financial arm of its U.S. affiliate. "If we decide to finance a future acquisition by issuing new stock, then doing the shelf registration in advance means we've done half the work," an Ahold spokesman told SN last week. "We always like to have a shelf filing for a certain amount in place." However, he said the company has no intention of issuing any stock "at this moment in time."

.5 billion over the next two years. The company said it will use some of the money to finance its $1.7 billion acquisition of American Stores Co., Salt Lake City, which is expected to close during the first quarter. The balance will be used for debt retirement, working capital and other acquisitions, the company noted.

SAFEWAY, Pleasanton, Calif., said Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the New York-based investment firm that is the chain's largest single shareholder, will reduce its holdings to 8.5% from 17% through a secondary offering of 21.75 million shares of common stock (including an overallotment of 2 million shares). The offering will reduce KKR's current holdings to 42.1 million shares. Safeway said it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the proposed offering, though no specific date has been set. Safeway also said it will not be selling any shares in the offering.

KROGER CO., Cincinnati, said Houston-based Bank United will replace Bank of America and NationsBank at 50 in-store branch locations in Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. With existing branches at 12 Kroger stores, Bank United will become the largest in-store branch banking provider in Kroger's southwest marketing area, the company said; it also said Bank United branches will be installed at 10 new stores Kroger will build in the Southwest this year.

LAURUS N.V., Amersfoort, The Netherlands, has acquired the Spanish food retailer Almacenes Mar y Mar for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was carried out by the company's Spanish subsidiary Grupo Unigro S.A. Mar y Mar operates about 60 supermarkets and 10 cash-and-carry outlets serving the catering trade in southwest Spain. It is the market leader in its region.

TAGS: Kroger News