Exclusive: Canada’s Couche-Tard drops Carrefour takeover plan – source By Reuters

By Pamela Barbaglia

LONDON (Reuters) – Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard has dropped its bid to acquire European retailer Carrefour (PA:CARR) SA after its takeover proposal ran into stiff opposition from the French government, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The decision to end merger talks came after a meeting on Friday between French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Couche-Tard’s founder and chairman, Alain Bouchard, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is confidential.

Both Couche-Tard and Carrefour declined to comment.