14:17 ET -- Spirit Airlines is one of the most mentioned companies in the U.S. across all news items in the last 12 hours, according to Factiva data. The airline's proposed $3.8 billion acquisition by JetBlue has been blocked by a federal judge who agreed with the U.S. Justice Department's assertion that the deal would eliminate a competitor important to price-conscious travelers. Removing Spirit as a rival would free JetBlue to raise prices by as much as 30%, the Justice Department said. JetBlue had argued it needed the merger to get big enough to compete with the four largest airlines: United, American, Delta and Southwest. Spirit shares are down almost 50% at $7.65. Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva. (jennifer.tershak@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 16, 2024 14:32 ET (19:32 GMT)

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