As we head into the second half of 2020, it's a good time to pause and take stock of the past six months of work in the Bureau of Competition.

Despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bureau staff have not let up in fulfilling our mission to enforce the antitrust laws and promote competition. In fact, the Commission is on pace for one of its busiest years for merger enforcement in twenty years-including several significant matters where we've initiated litigation or resolved concerns via consent agreement while teleworking. That the Bureau has continued to work so productively under unprecedented circumstances is a testament to the remarkable dedication and determination of our talented Bureau staff.    

SAN JUAN - U.S. and global stock markets rose sharply Monday. A wave of bullish investor sentiment in China surged across global markets, driving an increasingly optimistic view of the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing purchasing managers' (PMI) index rose past expectations, to 52.60, up from 43.10 last month, a 22.04% increase.

On the corporate side, we note that most companies had been engaged in a fast-paced path to secure liquidity and shore up additional cash reserves to face the pandemic. They are now focused on assessing the overall damage to their operations from COVID-19. Some companies have been able to stave off bankruptcy, at least for the time being.