A merger is a transaction where two companies combine into a single company or operate under one corporate structure. It can change the combined company's size, market position, revenue base, and growth potential.
Mergers are structured as stock-for-stock deals, cash deals, or a mix of both. In a stock-for-stock merger, shareholders of one company receive shares in the combined company instead of cash.
A merger differs from an acquisition: a merger blends two companies into one new entity, while an acquisition leaves the buyer as the surviving company. The target's shares may rise on an expected premium, while the combined company's shares move on the deal terms, expected synergies, regulatory risk, and integration challenges.
Company A and Company B agree to merge into one larger company. Company B shareholders receive 0.5 shares of Company A for every Company B share they own.
Once the merger completes, those shareholders hold stock in the combined company, and the market reprices it on the new valuation, earnings potential, and integration risk.