
It's a sweet deal for Hostess, which also spreads the peanut butter and jelly empire of J.M. Smucker: The storied maker of Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Ding Dongs, Zingers and other long-lasting sugary treats is being bought by the leading snacking conglomerate.
The total price tag is a whopping $5.6 billion — a huge scoop for Hostess, which has gone through bankruptcy not once but twice in the past two decades. That included a few months when Twinkies disappeared from the shelves.