HP-Compaq deal comes under closer scrutiny

NEWS The US Federal Trade Commission has asked for more information and more time to review the proposed $24bn merger between HP and Compaq. However, HP is playing down the significance of the request. A spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the move was "routine and expected". But the request will fuel the controversy surrounding the deal. Major shareholders in both companies have expressed their opposition to it, while members of the Hewlett and Packard families have also voiced their concerns about the viability of the merger.