FTC Lifts Levels For Deal Reporting

In line with a periodic review mandated by Congress, the FTC has lifted the statistical thresholds for reporting acquisitions – a move that should free additional middle-market deals from being automatically submitted for review under Hart-Scott-Rodino. Antitrust lawyers say that the change would have little impact on m&a. The broadest change lifted the deal size that must be reported to $53.1 million from $50 million. However, the FTC also increased the criteria based on the size of the companies involved in the transaction. That change involves a deal price of $212.3 million, versus a prior threshold of $200 million. Transactions in that range must be reported if one company has sales of $106.2 million, raised from $100 million, and/or assets of $10.7 million, raised from $10 million. Copyright 2005 Thomson Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.thomsonmedia.com http://www.majournal.com