Oracle-BEA merger gets regulatory approval

Oracle announces antitrust regulators have given its BEA Systems merger the green light, paving the way for shareholders to vote on the deal in April.

by Dawn Kawamoto

February 27, 2008 11:05 AM PST

Oracle announced Wednesday it has received a green light from regulators to move forward on its merger plans with BEA Systems.

For Oracle, the early termination of the antitrust review may just be the easiest part of the process it has undergone since launching its buyout bid for BEA in October.

Oracle's unsolicited buyout bid of $17 a share was initially met with resistance by BEA, which claimed it undervalued the company. The companies threw barbs back and forth, until BEA ultimately signed aboard, under pressure from its largest shareholder Carl Icahn.

The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice have given the deal the green light. BEA's investors will have a chance to vote at a special shareholders meeting on April 4, marking the last hurdle for the deal.