Wall Street analysts investors are indicating what they expect to happen to Fry's Food Stores parent Kroger Co.'s planned $24.6 billion acquisition of rival Albertsons Cos. Inc. — the owner of Safeway stores in the Valley — now that closing arguments have wrapped up in the grocers' court battle with the Federal Trade Commission over the deal.

Attorneys for Kroger and Albertsons insisted the deal would boost competition by strengthening both companies as a unified company, repeated company promises to lower grocery pric