In a speech at the Georgetown University Law Center, FTC Office of Policy Planning Director Bilal Sayyed stated that the agency is "reviewing the economic literature that supports arguments for a more expansive and structure based antitrust enforcement regime." He reported, in particular, that his office is conducting an analysis of empirical and theoretical literature on common ownership in firms that should act as competitors.
As previously covered, the FTC held a hearing on the possible anti-competitive implications of the same institutional investors holding non-controlling equity interests in competing firms in December 2018. According to Mr. Sayyed, the new analysis is a "top priority" for his office, which is concerned that firms that ought to be competitors will not have an incentive to compete if they share common ownership.
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