DOJ Clears Transocean-Valaris Merger; Closing Expected in Q4 2026
RIG sits 73% above its 52-week low of $3.03.
Summary
DOJ formally cleared Transocean's $5.8B acquisition of Valaris, with closing expected in Q4 2026. The HSR waiting period has expired, removing the last major regulatory obstacle to the merger.
Key Events · M&A and Partnerships · RIG
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DOJ Clears Merger
On September 30, 2026, the Antitrust Division of the DOJ closed its HSR investigation and the waiting period expired. This formally clears the regulatory path for the Transocean-Valaris combination.
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Closing Expected Q4 2026
Transocean and Valaris anticipate closing the Business Combination in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to satisfaction or waiver of remaining conditions in the Agreement.
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Deal Terms Unchanged
The exchange ratio remains 15.235 Transocean shares per Valaris share, as set in the February 9, 2026 Business Combination Agreement. No divestitures were required by the DOJ.
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Regulatory Milestone
This follows the DOJ's earlier delay of certification until at least July 31, 2026, and the September 21, 2026 report that clearance was expected. The formal clearance removes the last major antitrust hurdle.
Analysis · RIG · Energy & Transportation
The last major regulatory hurdle has been removed: the Department of Justice formally closed its antitrust investigation into Transocean's $5.8 billion all-stock acquisition of Valaris. With the HSR waiting period now expired, the companies expect to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. This official confirmation follows a deal that has been pending since February 2026 and was previously delayed by DOJ scrutiny. The clearance removes a key overhang on the stock and clears the path for a combination that will create the largest offshore drilling fleet in the industry.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Sep 30, 2026, 34.9% of the 1009 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.52%. 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, RIG was trading at $5.23 on NYSE in the Energy & Transportation sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $5.9B. The 52-week trading range was $3.03 to $7.66. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.