Effective February 25, 2016, the US Federal Trade Commission has raised the thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, which requires that parties to proposed stock or asset acquisitions exceeding certain thresholds file premerger notification reports to the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice and observe statutorily prescribed waiting periods (usually 30 days) prior to closing the transaction. Among other changes, the size-of-transaction threshold will increase to $78.2 million, with the result that acquisitions of voting stock or assets valued at more than $78.2 million may be reportable under the HSR Act.

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