acquirer

noun

ac·quir·er | \ ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r-ər

Definition of acquirer

: one that acquires especially : a company that acquires another company

Examples of acquirer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And under Mr Li HKEX has proved an adept acquirer of foreign assets. — The Economist, "Hong Kong’s bourse seeks to snap up the London Stock Exchange," 11 Sep. 2019 At about $3 a share, and taking into account cash on its balance sheet of $2.19 per share according to Yahoo Finance, an acquirer could pick up the company for peanuts. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "How Fitbit Could Stage a Comeback With Its New Watch and Premium Service—Data Sheet," 29 Aug. 2019 But historically Telefonica has been a voracious acquirer. — Washington Post, "Napping Spanish Dealmaker Nears The End of Its Siesta," 26 July 2019 The market has punished recent acquirers, including Concho, which bought RSP Permian last year. — The Economist, "Investors fee the Permian," 9 Aug. 2019 Entrepreneurs, eyeing a potential cliff on the horizon while also watching rivals get subsumed by acquirers, may find the time for an exit ripe. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "The Cybersecurity Market Is Consolidating—Cyber Saturday," 8 June 2019 Postmates and Qatalyst have also fielded some interest originating from potential acquirers, people familiar with the matter say. — Theodore Schleifer, Vox, "Plus: Postmates has explored a sale to companies like DoorDash and Walmart.," 12 July 2019 In August 2014, for instance, when Banc of California Inc. wanted to buy 20 Popular Community Bank branches, CRC got the acquirer to commit 20% of deposits to CRA activities. — Ryan Tracy, WSJ, "Bankers vs. Activists: Battle Lines Form Over Low-Income Lending Rules," 25 Sep. 2018 Regulators also stepped up scrutiny of the country’s most prolific overseas acquirers, triggering a slide in companies owned by some of China’s billionaire elite. — Erin Roman, Bloomberg.com, "Everything You Need to Know This Morning From Daybreak (Podcast)," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acquirer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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30 Sep 2019

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The first known use of acquirer was in 1607

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More Definitions for acquirer

acquirer

noun

Financial Definition of acquirer

What It Is

An acquirer is a person or company that purchases all or a portion of an asset or company.

How It Works

Company XYZ wants to acquire Company ABC. Company XYZ might just start buying ABC shares on the open market, but once Company XYZ acquires 5% of ABC, it must formally (and publicly) declare how many shares it owns to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Company XYZ must also state whether it intends to buy ABC or just hold its existing shares as an investment. In either case, Company XYZ is an acquirer. The term is mostly used in the context of purchasing a majority of another company, however.

Why It Matters

Acquirers often make acquisitions with cash, but they also use debt and their own stock as well, and there are often tax consequences associated with each form of currency.

Acquirers acquire other companies because they think they can create a bigger, more competitive, more cost-efficient entity. This synergy -- that is, the idea that the two companies together are more valuable to the shareholders than they are apart -- is elusive, but it is what justifies most acquisitions. After all, acquirers always have the much harder option of trying to "grow their own" by starting their own competitive ventures instead of buying someone else's. Targets sell their companies to acquirers because at the end of the day, the price is right. And on both sides, a well-executed acquisition can be the crowning jewel of a CEO's career.

Source: Investing Answers