Family Dollar Near-Record Offer Seen Prevailing: Real M&A

Dollar Tree Inc.’s offer for Family Dollar Stores Inc. at a near-record price may be enough to get a deal done without a bidding war.

Family Dollar received a $74.50-a-share takeover proposal yesterday from Dollar Tree, a surprise suitor after activist investors including Carl Icahn had pushed for a sale to rival Dollar General Corp. While the stock closed about $1 higher than the offer, MKM Partners LLC said other potential bidders, whether Dollar General or private-equity firms, are unlikely to step forward after they sat on the sidelines during three years of sale speculation.