White Knight

A corporate-takeover strategy with which a third party poses as a white knight to gain trust, but then turns around and joins with unfriendly bidders.

When a firm or investor buys a substantial number of shares in a company first thing in the morning when the stock markets open. Because the bidding company builds a substantial stake in ...

The most prestigious firms in professions such as law, investment banking and management consulting. White-shoe firms typically have a blue-chip clientele, acquired over the several ...

Very similar to a "white knight", but instead of purchasing a majority interest, the squire purchases a lesser interest in the target firm.

A company that was once making a takeover attempt but ends up discussing a merger with the target company.

Slang term for any one of a number of measures taken by a company to fend off an unwanted or hostile takeover attempt. In many cases, a company will make special amendments to its ...

A company that is considered prime for takeover, but has not yet been approached by an acquiring company. A company may be considered a sleeping beauty for a variety of reasons, ...

In the dramatic world of M&As, battleground terms meld with bizarre metaphors to form the language of the game.