MSFT - Activision ticks lower amid report about scrutiny of Microsoft deal

Activision ( NASDAQ: ATVI ) ticked down 0.8% at least partly amid a report that insiders are at the game maker are worried that Microsoft's ( NASDAQ: MSFT ) $69 billion acquisition could be thwarted by regulators.

There may be a belief that Microsoft ( MSFT ) should be taking a more accommodating stance with regulators in regards to its purchase of ATVI, the New York Post reported Sunday, citing unidentified ATVI insiders and sell-side analysts.

Activision told the NYP in a statement that “We’re very appreciative of our close working relationship with Microsoft. We’re confident in the deal and its progress, and we know Microsoft is working diligently to get it done. Any suggestion to the contrary is false.”

The NYP piece comes after media reports last week that Microsoft ( MSFT ) is said to not have offered any remedies in Europe's antitrust review of the Activision ( ATVI ) deal. The European Commission has set a provisional deadline of Tuesday to make a decision on the transaction, after which the EC is expected to open a four-month investigation.

Reuters reported earlier this month that the EC said to be asking game developers whether Microsoft ( MSFT ) will have an incentive to block rivals' like Sony's ( SONY ) access to games from Activision ( ATVI ).

Activision ( ATVI ) is scheduled to report Q3 results on Monday after the close.

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