The Federal Trade Commission accepted a consent order Tuesday to resolve antitrust concerns raised by a stock purchase agreement between two major firearm manufacturers, Beretta Holding S.A. and Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc.
The order prevents what the FTC identified as anticompetitive entanglements between the two companies, specifically barring them from sharing company directors. The FTC said the arrangement would have violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits competing companies from having common directors.
The action is part of the FTC's broader effort to address competitors that share board members, which the agency said can reduce market competition and increase the risk of coordination between rivals.