MarketAxess-ICE Merger Hits HSR Delay: Waiting Period Extended to Oct 29
MKTX sits 51% above its 52-week low of $108.75.
Summary
MarketAxess and ICE withdrew and refiled their HSR notifications, extending the antitrust review period to October 29, 2026 and pushing expected merger completion into the first half of 2027.
Key Events · M&A and Partnerships · MKTX
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HSR Notifications Withdrawn and Refiled
To give the DOJ additional review time, MarketAxess and ICE voluntarily withdrew their HSR premerger notifications on September 25, 2026 and refiled on September 29, 2026.
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Antitrust Waiting Period Extended
The new HSR waiting period is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 29, 2026, unless earlier terminated or extended by a second request or party agreement.
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Merger Completion Pushed to H1 2027
Completion of the $5.9 billion acquisition is now expected in the first half of 2027, subject to HSR clearance, stockholder approval, and other closing conditions.
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Stockholder Vote Still Set for October 29
The special meeting of MarketAxess stockholders to vote on the merger agreement remains scheduled for October 29, 2026 — the same day the HSR waiting period expires.
Analysis · MKTX · Crypto Assets
The $5.9 billion deal between MarketAxess and ICE now faces added regulatory scrutiny after both parties voluntarily withdrew their HSR premerger notifications on September 25 and refiled on September 29. That move pushes the antitrust waiting period to October 29, 2026, signaling the DOJ wants more time to review the transaction. Completion is now expected in the first half of 2027, a shift from the previously implied timeline that introduces uncertainty into a deal that had been proceeding on schedule.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 15, 2026, 29.3% of the 1512 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.49%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, MKTX was trading at $163.96 on NASDAQ in the Crypto Assets sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $5.8B. The 52-week trading range was $108.75 to $195.97. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.