Activision inventory falls following report of ‘likely’ FTC antitrust lawsuit versus Microsoft acquisition

Activision Blizzard Inc.
ATVI,
+.94%
shares declined in following-several hours buying and selling Wednesday following a report that the Federal Trade Fee was probable to file an antitrust lawsuit to block the videogame publisher’s acquisition by Microsoft Corp.
MSFT,
+1.04%
Politico reported late Wednesday that FTC employees are skeptical of arguments by the businesses that the $69 billion acquisition would not give Microsoft an unfair reward in the videogame marketplace, though commissioners have not but voted on a lawsuit. Microsoft will make the Xbox videogame console, making issues that it would make some of Activision’s most common video games — this kind of as the “Call of Duty” franchise — exclusive to its platform, shutting out rival Sony Team Corp.’s
6758,
+1.97%
Playstation. A Microsoft spokesman advised Politico that the business “is well prepared to tackle the issues of regulators, which includes the FTC, and Sony to make certain the offer closes with self-confidence.” Activision shares fell 4.5% in following-several hours trading, while Microsoft’s stock elevated a bit.