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US: FTC review date for Staples-Office Depot deal extended

By  |  October 12, 2015

Office supplies retailer Staples has agreed with the Federal Trade Commission to extend the review period for its $6.3 billion takeover of Office Depot.

The regulator will decide on the deal by Dec. 8, the companies said on Monday.

The extension follows EU regulators launching an investigation into the deal last month, warning that it could lead to price hikes.

Some analysts said they believed the extension was a positive sign.

“We…wonder if the FTC would bother agreeing to an extension if it was dead set on blocking the deal,” BB&T Capital Markets analyst Anthony Chukumba wrote in a note.

Staples first tried to buy Office Depot in 1996, but U.S. regulators blocked the transaction in 1997.

Full content: The Wall Street Journal

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