Direct Digital Holdings Plans Voluntary Nasdaq Delisting as Houston Port and Energy Sector Marks New Deals

Direct Digital Holdings, Inc., an advertising and marketing technology platform that operates through its companies Colossus Media, LLC (Colossus SSP) and Orange 142, LLC (Orange 142), announced in a press release its intention to voluntarily delist its Class A common stock from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The company also plans to deregister its Class A common stock under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. According to the announcement, Direct Digital Holdings received a Delist Determination notice from Nasdaq on October 1, 2026, after failing to comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), and trading of the stock on Nasdaq has been suspended since October 5, 2026.

The company stated that it has given written notice to Nasdaq and plans to file a Form 25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on or about November 2, 2026. Direct Digital Holdings expects the delisting to take effect ten days after the Form 25 filing, on or about November 12, 2026, and expects registration under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act to end 90 days after the filing, on or about January 31, 2027. Once the Form 25 takes effect, the company intends to file a Form 15 with the SEC to deregister its securities under Section 12(g) and suspend its reporting obligations under Section 15(d). That filing will end the company's obligation to submit certain Exchange Act reports, including certain Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, with deregistration expected to become effective 90 days after the Form 15 filing. The stock is currently quoted on the OTC Markets' OTC Pink "Limited Information" tier under the symbol "DRCT" and is expected to remain quoted there after the delisting and deregistration.

Across the region, port and energy firms as well as economic groups also reported new trade, investment and acquisition activity. Marine Link reported that cargo volumes along the Houston Ship Channel rose as exports and steel imports surged, while the Greater Houston Partnership noted that infrastructure investment in Houston supports broader economic growth across Texas. In the energy sector, EnergyNow.com reported that Blackstone and Halliburton are said to invest $1 Billion in VoltaGrid. Meanwhile, The Business Journals reported in separate updates that a Houston firm acquired a Denver energy consultancy and that Woodside plans to sell a stake in the Beaumont New Ammonia facility following the completion of a strategic review.

Local energy innovation and community events also drew attention across Houston this week. InnovationMap highlighted 5 Houston startups leading the energy transition, while the University of Houston announced that UH Energy participated in Energy Day 2026 and launched its Energy Leadership Speaker Series featuring an inaugural talk by Jim Gable. On the community calendar, CW39 Houston reported that the Chord Energy Houston Corporate 5K drew record crowds on its first day, with CW39 also taking part in the race.