Britain to block Activision-Microsoft mega merger

Published

3 years ago

April 27, 2023

ticker NEWS

It is block the takeover due to concerns it could hurt competition in cloud gaming

Microsoft’s huge $69 billion bid to buy Activision Blizzard hit a surprise issue.

Britain said it would block the takeover due to concerns it could hurt competition in cloud gaming.

The country’s antitrust regulator said Microsoft had not eased its concerns.

The XBox maker had said it would offer access to Activision’s multi-billion dollar ‘Call of Duty’ franchise to leading cloud gaming platforms.

Following the decision, Microsoft said it was still fully committed to the buyout and would appeal.

Activision added it would ‘work aggressively’ with Microsoft to reverse it.

The ruling was a surprise to markets.

It comes after British regulators last month dropped concerns about the deal’s impact on the console market.

That left cloud streaming services as the last hurdle.

Microsoft tried to overcome that by signing licensing deals with the owners of streaming platforms.

Investors did not like the decision.

Activision shares dropped more than 10 per cent in U.S. pre-market trade.

Europe will decide on the deal by May 22.

The United State’s Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block the buyout.

S&P 500 and Nasdaq rally ahead of Fed meeting and earnings

S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise for fourth session as investors await earnings and Fed meeting, marking longest gain since December.

Published

4 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Harvey Vargas

S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise for fourth session as investors await earnings and Fed meeting, marking longest gain since December.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have climbed for the fourth consecutive session as investors brace for upcoming earnings reports and a Federal Reserve meeting.

Both indexes reached their highest levels in over a week, marking the longest series of gains since December.

#StockMarket #SP500 #Nasdaq #TechStocks

Money

U.S. and China approve TikTok sale to American investors

US and China approve TikTok’s sale to Oracle and Silver Lake amid regulatory scrutiny, with ByteDance retaining 20%.

Published

4 days ago

January 23, 2026

Harvey Vargas

US and China approve TikTok’s sale to Oracle and Silver Lake amid regulatory scrutiny, with ByteDance retaining 20%.

The United States and China have officially approved a deal for TikTok’s US operations to be sold to American investors, led by Oracle and Silver Lake.

This marks a major shift in the social media landscape as the platform navigates increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Under the new agreement, ByteDance will retain just under 20% of TikTok US, while Oracle and Silver Lake will each take 15% stakes. Other investors will also participate, forming a structure designed to satisfy both commercial and regulatory demands.

The new US-based entity will have a majority American board tasked with overseeing data protection and content moderation. Despite these safeguards, concerns remain about ByteDance’s influence and whether the deal fully complies with recent legislation.

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#TikTokSale #USChinaDeal #Oracle #SilverLake #ByteDance #TechNews #SocialMedia #DataProtection

Money

Markets tumble as Trump tariffs, Greenland rhetoric and Europe backlash collide

U.S. stocks plummet over 800 points amid renewed tariff threats and political tensions from Trump, sparking global trade concerns.

Published

6 days ago

January 21, 2026

Harvey Vargas

U.S. stocks plummet over 800 points amid renewed tariff threats and political tensions from Trump, sparking global trade concerns.

U.S. equities took a sharp hit as markets reacted to renewed tariff threats and heightened political rhetoric from President Donald Trump. The Dow plunged more than 800 points, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also sliding as investor nerves rattled risk assets.

The sell-off highlights growing concern around global trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty, with markets struggling to price in what comes next for U.S. economic leadership and policy direction.

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#USMarkets #WallStreet #TrumpTariffs #GlobalMarkets #USDebt #Europe #Davos #Ticker