A U.S. judge set an early trial date, Feb. 13, over whether AT&T Inc (T.N) can purchase rival T-Mobile (DTEGn.DE) despite competitive concerns raised in a lawsuit by the Obama administration's Justice Department. The government wanted a trial starting on March 19 while AT&T sought a sooner date, Jan. 16. With a longer path to trial, the companies could find it difficult to hold the deal together and Wall Street investors' patience could wane. Judge Ellen Huvelle set the Feb. 13 trial during a brief hearing, which was held in the ceremonial courtroom in the federal courthouse, a space usually reserved for special cases or occasions. It was needed, however, to accommodate the large legal teams involved in the case. The case is USA v. AT&T, T-Mobile USA Inc and Deutsche Telekom AG, No. 11-cv-1560, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
AT&T Inc. is a holding company. The Company is a provider of telecommunications services in the United States and worldwide. Shares of T fell by 0.87% or $-0.252/share to $28.60. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $27.20 and as high as $31.94. On average, 30607200 shares of T exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 16457092.
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