While we don't believe in paying too much attention to buyout rumors and speculating on potential takeover targets, Fools should definitely try to keep up with M&A news that is officially announced -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Video game giant Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) announced late Wednesday that a U.S. Court has delayed its $8.2 billion deal to split from parent company Vivendi.
So what: In late July, Vivendi agreed to sell most of its stake in Activision right back to it and an investor group led by CEO Bobby Kotick, but the Delaware Chancery Court's decision raises the small possibility that the transaction won't go through. Specifically, the Court sided with a suing shareholder, who argued that the reverse spinoff should be subject to a vote, putting the deal's fate in shareholder hands, and possibly delaying the process significantly.
Now what: Both Activision and Vivendi are still very eager to close the transaction. "Vivendi and Activision Blizzard remain committed to a swift conclusion of the transaction and are considering all options with their lawyers in light of the Court's order," said the companies in a statement. Of course, when you couple the very-muted reaction in Activision shares today with the many accretive benefits of the transaction, I'd expect shareholders to approve the deal overwhelmingly.
