Microsoft's $69b Activision deal gets US judge go-ahead
Microsoft cleared major hurdles to its plan to buy videogame maker Activision Blizzard on Tuesday, after a US judge gave a thumbs-up to the $69 billion deal and a British regulator suggested it could reconsider its opposition. Activision shares surged 10% on the day, as the US and Britain have been the two countries opposed to what would be Microsoft's biggest deal ever and the largest transaction in the videogame industry's history. Microsoft shares rose 64 cents to $332.47. US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco rejected the Biden administration's contention that the deal would hurt consumers by giving Xbox game console-maker Microsoft exclusive access to games including the best-selling "Call of Duty." Shortly after the US judge 's order, Britain's Com Pet ition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was prepared to consider Microsoft's proposals to resolve antitrust concerns in the ...