Brazil's 3G Capital said to be in talks to buy Kraft

New York

3G CAPITAL, the Brazilian private-equity firm, is in advanced talks to acquire Kraft Foods Group Inc and merge it with ketchup maker HJ Heinz, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

A deal could be announced as soon as this week, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Kraft, based in Northfield, Illinois, closed at US$61.33 in New York trading on Tuesday, giving the company a market value of about US$36 billion. The stock surged 17 per cent after US markets closed and was trading at the equivalent of US$71 in Frankfurt on Wednesday.