Washington, May 29 - U.S. antitrust authorities have given Arby's owner Triarc Cos Inc antitrust approval to buy the Wendy's hamburger chain, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday.
Notice of approval of the deal, worth about $2.6 billion, came in a listing that the FTC releases daily.
The purchase would put the two fast-food chains under the same umbrella and help them compete with McDonald's Corp and Burger King Holdings Inc.
Under the terms of the deal, Wendy's International Inc shareholders are to receive 4.25 Class A Triarc shares for each Wendy's share they own.
Triarc shares were down 6 cents at $6.98 in Thursday afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Wendy's was started in 1969 by Dave Thomas and was named for his daughter. Thomas died in 2002.