XM and Sirius stocks went up yesterday after a prediction by an analyst that the DOJ will approve their merger in the immediate future. Robert Peck says that he has Washington D.C. contacts who have given him the inside scoop and called the merger “imminent”. He’s expecting the DOJ approval to come as early as Monday. This doesn’t mean, however, that the merger will occur immediately afterwards. It’s still waiting on approval from the FCC, a decision which isn’t expected to come until closer to year’s end.

The major argument against the merger is that it will limit competition in the market and create a monopoly. This point has been rebutted in a number of ways. Some say that there will eventually only be one company either way, whether it’s through merger or the bankruptcy of one of them. Others say that there remains competition from traditional radio as well as new radio technologies. The stock market seems hopeful that the DOJ / FCC will agree that the merger makes sense. This recent report added to investors' optimism.