-- Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has dropped an offer to buy hypermarket chain Carrefour SA after it ran into opposition from the French government, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

-- The Wall Street Journal earlier on Friday reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Couche-Tard Chairman Alain Bouchard in a closed-door meeting in Paris on Friday that he was opposed to the takeover.

-- Mr. Le Maire told the executive the sale would put France's food security and tens of thousands of jobs at risk, The Journal reported.

Full Reuters story: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-carrefour-m-a-couchetard-lemaire/exclusive-canadas-couche-tard-drops-20-billion-carrefour-takeover-plan-sources-idUSKBN29K0UU?il=0

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-15-21 1908ET