Crucial Dates To Watch As Aetna/Humana Deal Trial Comes To A Close

Although President-elect Donald Trump's victory spells higher chances for the regulatory approval of the $37 billion merger between Aetna Inc AET and Humana Inc HUM, the antitrust suit on the deal amplifies the difficulty the firms face in trying to get the nod of approval from regulators.

In a recent regulatory filing, the insurers agreed to extend their December 31 deadline to February 15, as U.S. District Court Judge John Bates is not expected to make a decision in the case by the end of the year.

As per the deal, Aetna would have to pay Humana a $1 billion breakup fee if the merger fails to take off. The roadblock stems from DoJ concerns over competition in the Medicare Advantage market where the combined company would dominate.

The trial began on December 5 and ended on December 21. Here are the upcoming key dates related to the merger:

• Thursday: Parties in the Aetna/Humana case are scheduled to submit their proposed findings to the judge.
• Friday: Closing arguments scheduled for the Aetna/Humana trial before Judge John Bates.
• Saturday: Original closing date for the Aetna/Humana merger. But, the companies have extended the deadline to February 15.

At last check, shares of Aetna were up 0.10 percent to $124.71, while Humana's were down 0.84 percent to $203.03.