Mergers and Acquisitions (redirected from M & A)

Mergers and Acquisitions

A term referring to any process by which two companies become one. In a merger, two companies integrate their operations, management, stock, and everything else, while, in an acquisition, one company buys another. Mergers and acquisitions may also refer to all legal, financial, and other issues involved before a merger or acquisition can take place.

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Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

What Does Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Mean?

A term used to refer to the consolidation or merging of two companies into one. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, whereas an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another in which no new company is formed.

Investopedia explains Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

An example of a major merger is the merging of JDS Fitel Inc. and Uniphase Corp. in 1999 to form JDS Uniphase. An example of a major acquisition is Manulife Financial Corporation's 2004 acquisition of John Hancock Financial Services Inc. The term “M&A” also refers to the department at financial institutions that deals with mergers and acquisitions.

Related Terms:
• Dilution
• Leverage
• Mezzanine Financing
• Merger
• Poison Pill