Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confident about activision deal approval, handling of economy

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said he’s confident the company can gain regulatory approval for its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. even in the face of an in-depth regulatory probe in the UK. “Of course, any acquisition of this size will go through scrutiny, but we feel very, very confident that we’ll come out,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

Nadella’s prediction puts him at odds with investors’ skepticism about the deal. While Activision rose Thursday, outperforming a slump in tech stocks, Wednesday’s close of $75.32 still left the company more than 20% below the offer price—a signal of massive doubt that Microsoft will ever be able to consummate the transaction.