Olin, Huntsman clear a big merger hurdle

Merger paperwork just got a little less annoying

Olin Corp. and Huntsman Corp. said the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period has expired for their proposed merger of equals. Translation: the antitrust cops have stepped aside for now, and that removes one of the bigger closing hurdles from the checklist.

Why you should care

This isn’t the glamorous part of M&A — no champagne, no big ribbon-cutting. But getting through HSR is a real signal that the deal is still on track. In merger-land, every cleared hurdle matters, because one missing box can send the whole thing into the weeds.

The investor angle

For shareholders, the question is simple: does this make the deal more likely to close on time? Yes, at least a little. It doesn’t guarantee the merger gets done — there are still other approvals, integration risks, and the usual corporate soap opera — but it lowers the odds that antitrust becomes the villain in the story.

Big picture: when two chemical giants try to tie the knot, even boring regulatory milestones can move the stock. This one keeps the merger train rolling.