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.

A critical hearing over Kroger’s proposed $25 billion takeover of Albertsons is beginning to wind down in a federal court. So what’s next?

Whether a proposed merger between two of the nation’s largest grocery store retailers will happen could be decided soon, as a federal judge hears arguments from the Federal Trade Commission and Kroger Company on the company’s proposed 24.