UK antitrust agency expected to publish thoughts on Activision/Microsoft next week

The UK’s antitrust authority is expected to publish its provisional findings on Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) planned purchase of Activision (NASDAQ:ATVI) next week.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is expected to release its findings on the purchase of the videogame maker in a week’s time, according to an Equity Research report, which cited a London-based lawyer advising a third party on the deal.

The update comes after other media reports that the CMA is expected to provide its provisional findings on the megadeal in the coming days. The report also follows after Microsoft is said to have received a formal statement of objections from the European Union in regard to its planned $69 billion acquisition of Activision.

Microsoft (MSFT) was given the statement of objections from the European antitrust regulator on Tuesday, according to media reports from MLex and Bloomberg.

Earlier this month, the UK antitrust watchdog’s review of the transaction was extended to late April from early March. The UK’S CMA in September confirmed it was taking a deeper look at the Activision deal after Microsoft failed to assuage concerns about potential anticompetitive effects.

The European Commission has an April 11 deadline to finish its review of the Activision deal. The EC in November said it was opening an in-depth review into the transaction, citing fears that the deal may “significantly reduce competition.”