Last week, the proposed merger between Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) and Office Depot (NASDAQ: ODP) was prevented by a federal judge.
That ended the long saga in which the two biggest retail office-supply brands tried to become one company. As soon as the decision was announced, the two potential partners decided to stop fighting the Federal Trade Commission and backed away from the deal. That leaves big questions for both, as well as concerns as to whether the judge made the right decision.