CINCINNATI — With decision time possibly at hand for the pending Kroger-Albertsons merger, Rodney McMullen, chairman and chief executive officer of The Kroger Co., said the company has made a strong case for the $24.6 billion deal but stands ready to move forward if regulators block it.

The court battle over the Federal Trade Commission's attempts to halt the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger is set to end Tuesday.

CINCINNATI — With decision time possibly at hand for the pending Kroger-Albertsons merger, Rodney McMullen, chairman and chief executive officer of The Kroger Co., said the company has made a strong case for the $24.6 billion deal but stands ready to move forward if regulators block it.

As Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger nears the end of its antitrust case this week, the grocer reported better-than expected results in its Q2 earnings report, which gave its stock value a boost on Thursday morning.

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

The federal government urged a U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday to temporarily prevent a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, saying in closing arguments the combination would “almost certainly” benefit shareholders and not everyday shoppers.