Shares of Motley Fool Income Investor selection Unilever (NYSE:UL) (NYSE:UN) are up more than 3% today on speculation of a merger acquisition.

The front-runner in the rumor mill is Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL). And to throw in a little awkward coincidence, I first heard the news this morning just after having eaten an English muffin with Skippy peanut butter, a Unilever product, and while brushing my teeth with Colgate toothpaste.

The pairing of Unilever and Colgate would be an interesting one on a couple of obvious points. There isn't too much product overlap between the two, which is always welcome, and both look up to giant Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) in the consumer goods space. But what makes Unilever an interesting target for Colgate or just about any company is the potential for removing costs inherent in Unilever's dual-headquarters structure. It should be very interesting to see where Unilever lands -- or if it sells at all.

Nathan Parmelee had no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned. Colgate-Palmolive is a Motley Fool Inside Value selection. The Motley Fool has an ironclad disclosure policy.