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Takeover targets – take the money and run or hang on for the ride?

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Takeover targets – take the money and run or hang on for the ride?

Hi Let's assume company XYZ receives a takeover offer and the shares jump, say, 20% on the news. What is the MM approach - would you sell into the news and lock in the share price gain or do you wait to see how things unfold and whether there will be a counter-offer from another bidder or whether the suitor will offer a better price etc? Cheers, Carl

Answer

Hi Carl,

We would evaluate the situation on a case by case basis but we are conscious that a large number of initial takeover approaches are ultimately failing. A couple of scenarios come to mind but our action will be determined by a number of factors:

  • Take part-profit if we like the stock and believe a higher bid is a distinct possibility.
  • Exit the position if we had been considering selling before the bid, especially if a higher bid feels unlikely.
  • Hold our position if we like the stock and are very confident a higher bid will be forthcoming.

There are so many variables in a given bid, its therefore very hard to outline a strategy that would apply to all. Importantly, we will always be timely in how we communicate our approach to members.

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