Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which owns a stake in grocer Albertsons , and billionaire investor Dean Metropoulos teamed up in an unsuccessful bid for cereal maker WK Kellogg , according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Shares of WK Kellogg ( KLG) surged 30% Thursday as the maker of Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes announced it had reached a deal to be acquired by Italian sweets company The Ferrero Group for $23 per share in cash, or about $3.1 billion.

WK Kellogg—whose brands include Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies—was spun off from Kellogg in 2023, a move that separated its North American cereal business from its remaining global snacking business, which was named Kellanova.

Concerns about food processing and sugar intake have been factors in dimming some people's enthusiasm for ready-to-eat cereal.

WK Kellogg, the maker of iconic American cereals, will be folded into the owner of Nutella and Tic Tacs in a $3.1 billion deal. What’s “Froot Loops” in Italian?

WK Kellogg Co. jumped nearly 30% on July 10 following the announcement from Italian food leader Ferrero regarding a $3.1 billion acquisition, inclusive of debt.

The Ferrero Group has agreed to acquire WK Kellogg Co for $23 per share in cash, for a total enterprise value of $3.1 billion, WK Kellogg said in a news release. RELATED: Kellogg’s reportedly set to sell 119-year-old cereal company in $3B deal