MarketAxess, ICE Refile HSR; Waiting Period Now Expires Oct 29, 2026

What Happened

• MarketAxess Holdings Inc. announced that, together with Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE), it voluntarily withdrew its initial Hart‑Scott‑Rodino (HSR) premerger notifications on September 25, 2026 and refiled those notifications on September 29, 2026. The refiled HSR notification resets the statutory waiting period, which now is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 29, 2026, unless earlier terminated or extended. MarketAxess has a special meeting of stockholders set for October 29, 2026 to vote on adopting the merger agreement; closing is still expected in the first half of 2027, subject to HSR clearance, stockholder approval and other closing conditions.

Key Details

• Parties: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE).
• HSR timeline: Initial filing Aug 26, 2026 (initial waiting period ended Sep 25, 2026); notifications withdrawn Sep 25, 2026; refiled Sep 29, 2026. New waiting period scheduled to expire Oct 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Stockholder vote: MarketAxess special meeting scheduled for Oct 29, 2026 to consider adoption of the merger agreement.
• Expected close: Transaction currently expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory clearance, stockholder approval and other conditions; DOJ may request additional information which could extend the HSR waiting period.

Why It Matters

• For investors: the filing updates the antitrust review timeline for the planned MarketAxess–ICE merger and confirms the companies are cooperating with regulators by refiling to allow additional DOJ review time. The October 29 special meeting date and the HSR deadline are near-term milestones investors can watch. Completion still depends on regulatory clearance, shareholder approval and other closing conditions, so timing and certainty remain conditional.