What happened Shares of Sprint (NYSE: S) gained 11.6% in July 2019, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The smallest of America's four major telecommunications networks moved one step closer to closing a long-awaited merger with slightly larger peer T-Mobile US (NASDAQ: TMUS). So what The U.S. Department of Justice gave this merger its stamp of approval, but only under certain conditions. The wireless market needs a fourth large-scale competitor, the DOJ argued, and DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) could provide that service if Sprint and T-Mobile offload some of their assets to the satellite TV specialist. At the end of the day, the Sprint brand should fall off the map and be replaced by a souped-up version of Boost Mobile -- under Dish Network's management. Image source: Getty Images. Now what The proposed package still requires some tweaking, and nothing is set in stone yet, but investors saw some light at the end of a tunnel that started way back in April of 2018. T-Mobile's stock also gained 7.5% last month, generally following Sprint's chart squiggles along the way. The two stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark over the last 52 weeks, but Sprint's investors will suffer a severe burn if this merger falls apart at the goal line. 10 stocks we like better than SprintWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has quadrupled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Sprint wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 1, 2019 Anders Bylund owns shares of T-Mobile US. The Motley Fool recommends T-Mobile US. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source