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Non-Tech : Whole Foods Market (WFM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Glenn Petersen who wrote (342)	7/18/2007 9:25:09 PM
From: Sr K	Respond to of 438

"Allison Linn" is an idiot based on that article. She doesn't proof what she posts and doesn't understand English. For example, she wrote: "Mackey himself, whose identity has been closely tied to the company ..." when she meant to write that the company's identity has been closely tied to Mackey. Bear Stearns doesn't have much credibility this week, either. Linn wrote something like "The proposed _________ million deal, announced in February" intending to fill in the blank, presumably with a dollar sign and 3 digits, and then let the article post as "The proposed million deal, announced in February". Even the comment about competition has been mis-characterized. Of course, if one competitor buys another, one of them will be eliminated from the competition. Did USDOJ or the FTC block Oracle from buying Peoplesoft? Or Siebel? Or 20-40 other companies? When a dominant player survives with a winning strategy, in this case size of store and format and assortment and employee development and training, etc., what are the small players to do? Spin wheels using capital inefficiently? Or sell and redeploy that capital? Is there anyone who wants to run Whole Oats making .57 to 71 cents a share rather than sell out for $18.50? They have an interim CEO because they "couldn't come to terms" with the prior one. He probably saw the handwriting on the wall. Even Whole Foods doesn't want to run Whole Oats. The stores are too small and will be sold or the leases sold to others to run whatever they want to from there (Smart and Final from some of them, some people have guessed). Whether it's from this merger or not, the Whole Oats locations will compete in a different area within a short period of time (not more than 5 years). Now, wsj.com has caught the careless disease, with "For Regulars Posters On Whole Foods Board, A Dramatic Twist". Harobed (just kidding, FTC)

To: Glenn Petersen who wrote (342)	8/16/2007 7:21:11 PM
From: Sr K	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 438

OATS up 18% and WFMI up 7% AH biz.yahoo.com Court Denies FTC's Request for Preliminary Injunction Related to Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets Proposed Merger Thursday August 16, 5:55 pm ET AUSTIN, Texas and BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whole Foods Market, Inc. (Nasdaq: WFMI - News) and Wild Oats Markets, Inc. (Nasdaq: OATS - News) today have announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request for a preliminary injunction related to the proposed merger between Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets. "The District Court's ruling affirms our belief that a merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats is a winning scenario for all stakeholders," said John Mackey, Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. "We believe the synergies gained from this combination will create long term value for customers, vendors, and shareholders as well as exciting opportunities for team members." The FTC may choose to appeal the District Court's ruling and may seek a stay from either the District Court or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to preclude the closing of the merger pending the FTC's appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets have agreed with the FTC to not close the merger prior to noon, Eastern time, on Monday, August 20, 2007. Absent a stay pending appeal, the companies may close the transaction at any point after noon, Eastern time, on Monday, August 20, 2007. "We are very pleased with the court's ruling and always had confidence that, once presented with the facts, the judge would rule in favor of this merger," said Gregory Mays, Chairman and CEO of Wild Oats Markets. "We continue to believe this merger is in the best interest of our stakeholders, as it will mean significant career opportunities for our store associates, capital investment in our stores to enhance the shopping experience for our customers, and value-creation for our shareholders. We look forward to closing the transaction." On February 21, 2007, Whole Foods Market entered into a merger agreement with Wild Oats, pursuant to which Whole Foods Market, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has commenced a tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Wild Oats at a purchase price of $18.50 per share in cash. On June 7, 2007, the FTC filed a suit in the federal district court to block the proposed acquisition on antitrust grounds and seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction pending a trial on the merits. Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats consented to a temporary restraining order pending a hearing on the preliminary injunction, which concluded on August 1, 2007. Whole Foods Market recently extended the expiration date for its tender offer to purchase outstanding shares of common stock of Wild Oats to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on August 20, 2007. Whole Foods Market previously announced it plans to transfer all 35 Henry's and Sun Harvest store locations, and a Riverside, Calif. distribution center to a wholly owned subsidiary of Smart & Final Inc., a Los Angeles-based food retailer, subject to Whole Foods Market prevailing in the current lawsuit with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission concerning Whole Foods Market's merger with Wild Oats Markets and the actual closing of that merger. The Henry's and Sun Harvest stores are located in California and Texas. For further information, please contact: Whole Foods Market Investor Contact - Cindy McCann, 512.542.0204 Media Contact - Kate Lowery, 512.542.0390 Wild Oats Markets Investor and Media Contact - Sonja Tuitele, 303.396.6984