Microsoft Activision Blizzard purchase faces the rejection of the Investor Group

Earlier this year, Microsoft made great waves in the videogame industry when he announced his intention to buy Blizzard Activision. The agreement will not be finalized until the beginning of next year, but there are a number of potential obstacles that must be overcome before the purchase can be specified. Shareholders will vote on the proposed merger on April 28, but Soc Investment Group is pressing for no. In a letter about the company's website, it states that the "transaction does not adequately assess activision and its potential for future profits," arguing that the company is currently undervalued.

Last year, accusations began to emerge on racism, sexism and a "culture of fraternity" in Activision Blizzard. While the company has tried to change things, SOC Investment Group argues that "incompetent management of the crisis by the Activision Board" has depressed the price of actions. The group points to the average value of the company's shares in the first half of 2021, before those accusations begin to emerge. That average was $ 94,37, with a maximum of $ 103.81. The offer of $ 68,700 million from Microsoft would represent a price of $ 95 per share. While that would be a significant increase on its current value, SOC argues that "Activision shareholders would be better served by replacing the holder board with directors who would allow the company to assume its true potential».

The group also believes that a purchase by Microsoft, or any other group, would not be viable "given the change in the climate of application of antitrust standards, as well as obvious sources of potential damage to competition derived from merger". Several Senators in the USA UU have mentioned similar antitrust concerns, although it is worth noting that Microsoft has declared its intention to maintain the Call of Duty franchise available on PlayStation platforms, and even plans also for a version of Nintendo Switch, what It would be an important change for the series.

SOC Investment Group has "substantial" actions in Activision Blizzard, so the opinion of the group could have a certain weight. For now, we will have to be attentive to how the shareholders will vote on this month, and the last thing about the research of the FTC.

Do you think the purchase of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft will be approved by shareholders? Do you think that the culture of the company would improve with Microsoft? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter in @marcdachamp to talk about everything related to games!