This regulation set up rules that must be followed by the individual(s) looking to acquire the bulk of a company’s stock through a tender offer. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The second standout regulation is Regulation 14E established by the U.S. It’s also responsible for allowing a company’s board of directors the time they need to determine if the tender offer is beneficial or harmful for the company and its shareholders, and to make it easier for them to block the offer. The act is designed to establish a fair capital market for all participants. The Williams Act establishes requirements for any individual, group, or business looking to acquire stocks with the end goal of taking control of the company in question. The Williams Act wasn’t added to the Securities Exchange Act until 1968, when New Jersey Senator Harrison A. The latter act is considered, to date, one of the most significant securities laws ever enacted in the U.S. The Williams Act is an amendment to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. There are many regulations for tender offers however, there are two that stand out as the strictest. The rules give the businesses a foundation to stand on so that they can respond to any potential takeover attempts. The regulations serve as a means of protection for investors and also act as a set of principles that stabilize businesses targeted by those making tender offers.
Tender offers are subjected to strict regulation in the United States. If the target company’s board doe not approve of the deal, then the tender offer effectively constitutes a “ hostile takeover” attempt. The individual(s) looking to acquire the shares approach the shareholders directly. It’s also important to note that tender offers can be made and carried out without the target company’s board of directors giving approval for the shareholders to sell. The investor offers the shareholders $25 dollars per share, but the offer is made conditional on the investor being able to acquire more than 50% of Company A’s total outstanding shares. An investor approaches the shareholders of Company A whose stock shares are selling for $15 per share. To get a better understanding of how this works, consider this example. How a Tender Offer Worksīecause the party looking to buy the stocks is willing to offer the shareholders a significant premium over the current market price per share, the shareholders have a much greater incentive to sell their shares.
In most cases, those that extend a tender offer are looking to acquire at least 50% of the company’s shares in order to take control of the company.
Otherwise, the conditional offer is canceled. The basic idea is that the investor or group of individuals making the offer are willing to pay the shareholders a premium – a higher than market price – for their shares, but the caveat is that they must be able to buy a specified minimum number of shares. Tender offers are a commonly used means of acquisition of one company by another.Ī tender offer is a conditional offer to buy a large number of shares at a price that is typically higher than the current price of the stock. In some cases, the tender offer may be made by more than one person, such as a group of investors or another business. The offer is to tender, or sell, their shares for a specific price at a predetermined time. A tender offer is a proposal that an investor makes to the shareholders of a publicly traded company.