UK Approves HPE's $14 Billion Purchase of Juniper Networks

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is moving closer to finalizing its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, as the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that the deal will not undergo further scrutiny. Although the CMA has yet to release its comprehensive findings, it has updated the case page to indicate that the acquisition has been cleared. This development follows an initial investigation launched by the CMA two months ago, during which stakeholders were invited to provide feedback. The CMA had set a deadline of July 3 for comments, with a decision on whether to escalate the investigation due by August 14. The U.K. has recently demonstrated a tendency to block significant acquisitions, notably rejecting Microsoft's $68.7 billion bid for Activision last year, which required the companies to make several concessions to proceed. In contrast, the European Union approved the HPE-Juniper merger last week, citing the strength of the sector as a key factor in its decision. This EU approval has been seen as a positive indicator for the U.K.'s stance on the deal. With the CMA's clearance, the acquisition has successfully navigated its primary regulatory hurdles. Unless there is an unexpected intervention from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the merger is on track to meet HPE's projected closing date, anticipated for early 2025 at the latest.