Technical Question - Stock transaction

Hey guys, juste need a quick answer to this:

Company A is buying company B in an all stock transaction. Compant A is offereing 0.5 of its shares for 1 share of company B. They both have the same P/E ratio. Is this accetive or dilutive?

Thanks!

4 Comments
 

D

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 

What is the logic behind this? The way I see it is say the P/E of each is 10. The fact that A is offering 0.5 shares for 1 of B means they believe one of their shares is worth 2 of Bs. So doesn't this mean they value B at (0.5P)/E = 0.5(10)/1 = 5 = Accretive?

I probably got the logic wrong but I just want to understand why it is dilutive. Thanks

 
Best Response

I believe this is a trick question - the correct answer is neither. Generally, a merger is accretive when a company with a higher P/E acquires a company with a lower P/E and dilutive when the opposite is true. Given that the P/E ratios are the same, the merger is neither accretive nor dilutive.

The exchange ratio is solely a function of the price per share of each company's stock. Think of it this way, if Company A has $2 eps and trades at $20/share and Company B has $1 eps and trades at $10/share, they both have P/E ratios of 10. Even though their valuations are the same, Company A would not trade $20 of its stock for $10 of its target's stock (1:1 exchange ratio). At these prices, Company A would have to offer 0.5 shares for 1 share of Company B in an all stock transaction (0.5:1 exchange ratio).

Regardless, the acquiror is paying $10 for $1 of earnings regardless of if his stock is $20 and his target's stock is $10, or if his stock is $4 and his target's stock is $2. Accretion is dependent on the relationship of the P/E multiples, not the nominal share prices.

 

Architecto quisquam omnis a aut dolores. Sit ducimus quis perspiciatis aliquam rerum voluptas non.

Voluptatibus qui et aperiam enim sapiente perspiciatis. Non magnam optio voluptas quae dolorem ea quia. Dolorum doloribus ea non assumenda assumenda. Unde aut omnis aliquam a. Alias sed tempora nulla asperiores quia omnis. Assumenda consequatur necessitatibus quia quos. Neque nihil ipsa odio fuga tenetur tempora. Praesentium quis minus ducimus rerum eum eum.

Laborum fugiat et dolorem voluptatem. Odio temporibus fugiat et ex commodi cum in. Aut commodi est aperiam inventore aut ipsam.

Voluptatem ex sint quos aut voluptas. Officiis consequatur sed voluptas. Exercitationem culpa architecto nesciunt aut voluptas. Vel minima error recusandae consectetur cumque repudiandae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”