Long National Nightmare Nearly Over

Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread may soon be back in stores after a bankruptcy court judge on Tuesday approved sales of several iconic brands that had been owned by the failed Hostess Brands Inc. Buyout firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co teamed up for Hostess's snack cake brands, paying $410 million for Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs and Donnettes. Flowers Food Inc, which makes Tastykakes snacks, picked up most of Hostess's bread business, including its Wonder and Nature's Pride brands for $360 million. The No. 2 U.S. baking company also bought 20 bakeries and other operations. [Tribune]