Flowers Foods is dependent on its relationship with Wal-mart. On Monday, Flowers Foods FLO announced its pending merger with privately held Holsum Bakery for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. Holsum Bakery, with annual sales of $146 million or 7% of Flowers Foods' total sales, operates two bakeries in the Phoenix area and sells fresh bakery items ... Flowers Foods ( FLO +0.8% ) is in receipt of a second request from the Department of Justice for more information on the dominance of the company's bread business including the impact of its purchase of Hostess products. Industry insiders think the company may have to end up shedding a brand or two ... Feb 21 (Reuters) - Key events in the history of Flowers Foods, a company that has grown through acquisitions to become the second-largest baking company in the United States. (Reuters) - Flowers Foods Inc is set to buy Wonder Bread and some other brands owned by Hostess Brands Inc for $360 million, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, giving the No. 2 U.S. baking company a bigger slice of the fast-consolidating bread business. By Gerry Callihan : I first purchased shares of Flowers Foods ( FLO ) in 2001. The sound of the dotcom implosion was still ringing in my ears, and I wanted an investment that was steady and a little bit boring. Flowers was perfect. A bakery that not only made bread, but paid it out too in the form ... (Reuters) - Flowers Foods Inc on Friday said it has agreed to buy Wonder and other well-known bread brands from Hostess Brands Inc for $390 million, as part of the latter company's bankruptcy reorganization. By Chris Katje : Shares of Flowers Foods ( FLO ) have seen a lot of action over the last two weeks. Shares have been in the spotlight because of rival company Hostess closing the doors of its factories and entering bankruptcy. Flowers, which competes with Hostess in bread and snacks, is seen as the ... (Reuters) - Flowers Foods Inc on Friday said it has agreed to buy Wonder and other well-known bread brands from Hostess Brands Inc for $390 million, as part of the latter company's bankruptcy reorganization. Flowers Foods ( FLO ) and Mexico's Grupo Bimbo are reportedly set to be the stalking horse bidders for Hostess Brands' bread ops, which the bankrupt company is likely to sell in at least two groups and which could fetch over $350M. Other possible suitors include Wal-Mart ( WMT ) and Kroger ( KR ). ...