Whole Foods Profit Falls After Wild Oats Merger

Whole Foods won the fight against the FTC and bought out competitor Wild Oats, but the protracted merger hasn't yet yielded profits for the natural foods grocer.

Its fourth-quarter profit fell $33.9 million, 24 cents a share, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Sales, however, were up -- perhaps indicating that the future would be more profitable, once the transition is through. The Federal Trade Commission had tried persistently to block the deal, arguing that the merger would reduce competition in the marketplace, leaving consumers with less choice and higher prices.

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