Merger and Acquisition Announcements Key Terms

Use merger and acquisition announcements key terms to help you stay up-to-date on investments
By Tara McClendon, Freelance Writer/Editor Tara McClendon Companies must file merger and acquisition announcements as a legal way to disclose changes to investors. There are many sources from which you can receive announcements, and the source you use will depend on how frequently you want to receive announcements. When you work with merger and acquisition announcements, key terms like aggregate changes or M&A data can help you understand the purpose and the information contained in the announcements, among other aspects.

Aggregate changes

Aggregate changes are the fluctuations in stock price. Most merger and acquisition announcements will include information on aggregate changes by indicating a percentage of increase or decrease in the stock's value.
Try:  CNNMoney announces stock changes and uses percentages to show the increase or decrease.

M&A data

Merger and acquisition data (M&A data) provides information on stocks and markets. The data is what most companies include in merger and acquisitions announcements.
Try:  To get an overview of M&A data, you can visit Valuation Resources. The website covers the use of this data in merger and acquisition announcements.

Merger tracker

A merger tracker is an announcement that will notify you of mergers. It can be a daily, monthly or quarterly newspaper or some other medium.
Try:  Visit William Blair and Company to see an example of company that offers a monthly merger tracker.

Email alert system

An email alert system allows you to receive announcements via email. Often this is the quickest way to get up-to-date information.
Try:  You can sign up for email alerts at StreetInsider.com, which offers an email alert system to notify you of merger and acquisition announcements.

Disclosure

Disclosure is the legal process of revealing to investors the status of a company that mergers or acquires additional stock. The timing of disclosure is an important element for companies to consider prior to issuing a merger or acquisition announcement.
Try:  You can find more information on disclosure by visiting the website for Blake, Cassels & Graydon. It covers the role of disclosure in mergers and acquisitions, as well as the timeline for disclosure.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees the compliance of merger and acquisition announcements.
Try:  You can learn about the role of the SEC by visiting its website, which also provides information on laws and regulations specific to mergers and acquisitions.