Key Highlights

● MarketAxess and Intercontinental Exchange withdrew and refiled their Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notifications, resetting the waiting period for their pending merger.

● The new waiting period expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 29, 2026, unless earlier terminated or extended.

● The parties withdrew their filings on September 25 to give the DOJ additional time for review and refiled September 29.

● MarketAxess stockholders meet October 29 to vote, and the companies continue to expect completion in the first half of 2027.

MarketAxess Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MKTX) and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) have withdrawn and refiled their premerger notifications under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which resets the waiting period for their pending merger. MarketAxess described the step in an 8-K filed on September 29, 2026 under Item 8.01 (Other Events). The new waiting period expires on October 29, 2026, which is also the date of MarketAxess's special meeting of stockholders, and the companies continue to expect completion in the first half of 2027.

What Happened with the HSR Filings

The filing says the two companies made their initial Hart-Scott-Rodino filings on August 26, 2026, and that the original waiting period was scheduled to end on September 25, 2026. On that date, the parties "voluntarily withdrew their respective premerger notifications and report forms." The reason given in the filing is "to provide the DOJ with additional time for review." They refiled on September 29, 2026.

The new waiting period is set to expire "at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 29, 2026, unless earlier terminated or extended." The Hart-Scott-Rodino Act requires parties to certain large transactions to notify the U.S. antitrust agencies and to wait for a set period before closing. Withdrawing and refiling a notification is a procedure that starts a new waiting period, which is what the 8-K describes. The filing refers to the Department of Justice, abbreviated DOJ, as the reviewing agency. It does not say whether the DOJ has issued any request for additional information, and it does not describe any concerns about the transaction.

The Timeline for the Merger

Apart from the antitrust waiting period, the filing lists the other conditions for completion. Closing remains subject to expiration or termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period, approval by MarketAxess stockholders, and "satisfaction or waiver of the other closing conditions specified in the merger agreement." The special stockholder meeting is scheduled for October 29, 2026, the same day the refiled waiting period is set to expire. The company filed its definitive proxy statement on September 18, 2026.

The 8-K itself does not repeat the merger consideration, the date the merger agreement was signed or the termination provisions. It points readers to the definitive proxy statement for those details. Only the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act is discussed as a regulatory approval in this filing; other approvals, if any are required, are not specified.

Forward-Looking Statements and Proxy Solicitation

Like many merger-related filings, the 8-K includes a long cautionary section on forward-looking statements. It lists risks including that the transaction may not be completed or its benefits may not be realized, that significant transaction costs may be incurred, that the merger agreement may be terminated in circumstances that require a termination fee, that the announcement may disrupt business or distract management, that restrictions apply to the company's activities while the deal is pending, and that its stock price could decline if the deal is not completed. It also cites third-party and government agency actions, integration challenges and the availability and terms of ICE's debt financing.

The filing also states that MarketAxess, its directors and certain of its executive officers and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders. It refers readers to the sections of the proxy statement titled "Interests of Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger" and "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for more on those participants.

October 29 Dates in the MarketAxess Merger Timeline

The dates to note are October 29, 2026, when the refiled waiting period expires unless earlier terminated or extended and MarketAxess stockholders meet to vote, and the first half of 2027, when the companies expect to complete the merger. The filing does not say whether the waiting period may be extended again, and it does not describe any other regulatory approvals.