"Plaintiffs (the FTC) are likely to succeed on the merits and the equities weigh in favor of an injunction. Accordingly, plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction is granted," Nelson wrote in her decision.

Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. But the Federal Trade Commission sued earlier this year, asking Nelson to block the $24.6 billion deal until an in-house administrative judge at the FTC could consider the merger’s implications. Nelson agreed to pause the merger.