LHCG - LHC Group ticks higher amid report about confidence in UnitedHealth close timing

• LHC Group ( NASDAQ: LHCG ) rose 0.7% amid a report that a close of its planned sale to UnitedHealth ( NYSE: UNH ) can still happen in Q1.
• The parties certified substantial compliance on Dec. 6 and there's a timing agreement in place with no divestitures expected, according to a Dealreporter item, which cited sources familiar. The timing agreement is set to expire in mid-February.
• The latest update comes after LHC Group ( LHCG ) extended the termination date for its sale to UnitedHealth to March 28 and said it expects the deal to close in 1Q. LHC ( LHCG ) also said at the time that the companies' had certified to the FTC their substantial compliance with the second request.
• LHCG ( LHCG ) and UnitedHealth ( UNH ) received a second request from the FTC in July related to the $5.4 billion deal.
• UnitedHealth ( UNH ) agreed to buy home health business LHC Group for $170/share in late March.

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