Merger activity increased last week with two new deals announced, one deal closing and one deal terminated. The increase in merger activity last week was not very significant as only two new deals were announced. The merger of Standard Diversified (SDI) into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Turning Point Brands (TPB) is a tax-free merger. The transaction was first announced by the companies in November 2019 and confirmed last week. The second deal was a going private transaction, where the Stern Group, comprised of Gary Stern, Ricky Stern, and certain related parties, will acquire the outstanding