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Italian confectioner Ferrero, known for brands like Nutella and Kinder, is buying the century-old U.S. cereal company 

 in an effort to expand its North American sales.

The Ferrero Group said Thursday it will pay $23 for each Kellogg share, or approximately $3.1 billion. The transaction includes WK Kellogg Co.'s six manufacturing plants, and the marketing and distribution of 

 across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

WK Kellogg's shares were up 31 percent in early afternoon trading Thursday.

Kellogg was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1906 after its founder accidentally figured out how to make flaked cereal while he was experimenting with granola. Kellogg still makes Corn Flakes, as well as Froot Loops, Special K, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereals.

Kellogg now has four U.S. plants, which are located in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Nebraska. It also has a plant in Mexico and a plant in Canada. The company has around 3,000 employees.

The current company was formed in 2023, when Kellogg snack brands like Cheez-Its and Pringles were spun into a separate company called Kellanova. M&M's maker Mars Inc. 

 that it planned to buy Kellanova in a deal worth nearly $30 billion.

Ferrero Group, which was founded in Italy in 1946, has been trying to expand its U.S. footprint. In 2018 it 

, including Butterfinger, Nerds and SweeTarts. And in 2022 it 

, the maker of ice cream brands like Blue Bunny and Halo Top.

WK Kellogg's brands have been struggling with a long-term decline in 

 as consumers turned to protein bars, shakes and other breakfast items. Cereal sales got a bump during the coronavirus pandemic as more families stayed home, but sales continued to decline after the pandemic eased.

At the start of July, U.S. cold cereal sales were down 6 percent compared to the same period in 2022, according to market research company Nielsen IQ. Kellogg's net sales fell 2 percent to $2.7 billion in 2024.

Brad Haller, a senior partner for mergers and acquisitions at West Monroe, said Kellogg's large distribution network and relationships with grocery chains in North America is appealing to Ferrero because it would help the European company negotiate pricing and positioning for its products.

The purchase also helps Ferraro expand beyond snacks and sweets and into a meal category, Haller said. But the company also may wind up cutting Kellogg brands or shutting down manufacturing plants.

“As Americans, these brands are iconic and beloved by us, but a European company buying these wouldn’t have the same nostalgia,” Haller said.

 by workers at all its U.S. cereal plants in late 2021 hurt sales. And last fall, 

 outside the company's Battle Creek headquarters demanding that Kellogg remove artificial dyes from its cereals.

 sold to schools to remove artificial dyes and will not include them in any new products starting in January.

Ferrero's acquisition, which still needs approval from Kellogg shareholders, is expected to close in the second half of the year. Once the transaction is complete, Kellogg’s stock will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the company will become a Ferrero subsidiary.

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Italian confectioner Ferrero, known for brands like Nutella and Kinder, is buying the century-old U.S. cereal company WK Kellogg in a deal valued at approximately $3.1 billion.

Snap, crackle, sale: Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy WK Kellogg for $3 billion

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