Investors Are Looking to Save Ben & Jerry’s Roots

A group of “socially conscious” investors is banding together in an effort to save one of its own: the quirky ice cream manufacturer famous for such flavors as Bovinity Divinity and Phish Food.

Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. confirmed Friday that it may be receiving a buyout offer from a group including “socially conscious businesspeople.” But the company said the offer had not been received and declined to comment further.

News of a potential rival to rumored suitors Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch conglomerate, and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. helped boost Ben & Jerry’s stock price nearly 7%, or $1.50, to close at $24, on Nasdaq.