ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares are falling on Tuesday.
In morning trade, the banking giant's shares are down 2% to $27.96.
As a comparison, the rest of the big four banks are pushing higher in early trade.
Why are ANZ shares falling?
Investors have been selling the bank's shares today after the Australian Competition Tribunal approved its acquisition of the banking operations of Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN).
As a reminder, ANZ agreed a deal with Suncorp to buy its banking business for $4.9 billion. It was blocked on competition fears by the ACCC, but this decision has now been overturned, paving the way for the deal to complete.
Though, judging by its share price performance today, it seems that not everyone is keen on the deal.
'Significant milestone'
ANZ was pleased with the news and has released a brief response to the approval this morning.
The bank's Chief Executive Officer, Shayne Elliott, described the approval as a significant milestone. Though, he also points out that there's still work to be done before completion. Elliott said:
This is a significant milestone and an important step forward in the process, however we still have further conditions to meet. We remain committed to completing the acquisition as soon as possible once all sale conditions are met.
Elliott also reminded shareholders why the bank is so keen to make the acquisition. He adds:
Suncorp Bank is a high-quality business with a strong team and excellent customer base, and we look forward to bringing them access to the best of ANZ, including our platforms and technology. We strongly believe that the acquisition presents significant opportunities for ANZ, Suncorp Bank and our customers, as well as major public benefits including for Queensland.
Completion of the acquisition remains subject to legislative amendments by the Queensland Parliament and approval by the Federal Treasurer.
Suncorp shares are up almost 6% in morning trade.
