Snack maker Kellanova’s shares rose Thursday on news that its proposed merger with Mars Inc. had cleared U.S. regulators.The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced late Wednesday that after nearly a year of investigation,

The FTC on June 25 announced it granted an early termination of its probe into the nearly year-old Mars-Kellanova transaction. Earlier in the day, the EC — the executive branch of the European Union (EU) — said it has launched an “in-depth investigation” of the planned acquisition, citing competitive concerns under the EU Merger Regulation.

Mars' proposed acquisition of Kellanova has received a crucial endorsement from the US Federal Trade Commission, but now faces scrutiny from the European Commission.