Microsoft/Nokia deal could be finalized soon
Microsoft agreed to purchase Nokia's Devices and Services business back in September, and has been working its way through various regulatory systems on the way to finalizing the deal. Yesterday, Nokia sent out a notice that it would be reporting its Q4 2013 earnings next week on January 23rd; and, the notice makes it sound like the Microsoft deal will be finalized soon.
The key information here is that "Nokia is reporting substantially all of its Devices & Services business as discontinued operations in its fourth quarter 2013 and full year 2013 results report." The three "continuing" businesses are Nokia Solutions & Networks (NSN), HERE, and Advanced Technologies. Labeling the Devices and Services business as "discontinued" at the very least implies that Nokia expects the deal to be finalized before it makes its Q1 2014 earnings report, which will likely happen in April, but presumably much sooner if that division's earnings are being listed separately.
It's hard to say exactly when the deal will officially close, but Microsoft has said in the past that it expected the deal to be finalized in early 2014. In September, Microsoft agreed to purchase Nokia's Devices and Services business for $7.17 billion, and in the process Microsoft would transfer 32,000 Nokia employees into its own ranks.
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