Reuters was first to report that Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies snack cakes, is exploring a sale after fielding takeover interest from major snack food makers. Hostess became an acquisition target after it raised prices on some of its products to boost revenue, fueling investor concerns over its prospects. General Mills Inc, Mondelez International, PepsiCo Inc and Hershey Co are among the companies that have shown an interest in acquiring Hostess. Hostess shares rose as much as 30% on the news.