CEO Brian Hannasch told analysts that the Laval, Que.-based company would “love to do the transaction” and would revive its $20-billion bid for the French grocery retailer “if we got signals that the environment could change or would change from the French government or other key stakeholders.” (Reuters)

Talking point: The two companies abandoned merger talks on Saturday following the French finance minister’s opposition, and said they would look at “operational partnerships.” Minister Bruno Le Maire told Couche-Tard founder Alain Bouchard, who travelled to France for the meeting, that the takeover would be bad for the country, and said on television: “To sum up: it’s a no. A courteous no, but a no that is clear and definitive.” Le Maire has since said the country’s “economic policy remains open to foreign investment,” and that he opposed the takeover because he believes in food sovereignty. Couche-Tard said it is exploring other deals in related retail spaces to the corner-store market, including quick-service restaurants and dollar stores. Carrefour shares closed down 8.9 per cent in Paris, while Couche-Tard shares moved up more than one per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange, recovering some of its decline since the talks became public on January 13.