European regulators are expected to approve
Microsoft’s
$69 billion deal for
Activision Blizzard
imminently. A European approval wouldn’t clear the path for acquisition to go ahead, but it would be a helpful point of reference for Microsoft as it takes on objections in the U.S. and U.K.
Microsoft
(ticker: MSFT) will be keen to get regulators in the European Union on board for the
Activision
(ATVI) purchase, after British regulators decided to block the deal last month. Microsoft is now planning an appeal against that decision and its case would be boosted it could point to a green light from European regulators.
The European Commission is set to approve the deal as early as Monday, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The EU’s antitrust regulators were won over by Microsoft striking a series of licensing deals with cloud-streaming rivals, according to Reuters.
Activision Blizzard shares closed at $77.35 on Friday, well below the proposed acquisition price of $95 a share.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block the deal, meaning Microsoft has a difficult path toward the merger, even if it gets EU approval and wins its U.K. appeal.
Write to Adam Clark at [email protected]
Read the full article here
