What is a corporate takeover?

A corporate takeover is defined as a transfer of controlling interest of a corporation from one group of shareholders to another, either through a friendly acquisition or an unfriendly or "hostile" bid. A hostile takeover (with the aim of replacing current existing management) is usually attempted through a public tender offer.

What is a reverse takeover?

A reverse takeover is an acquisition in which a private company which is not listed on a stock exchange acquires a smaller company which IS listed, thus acquiring a stock market listing "through the back door". This is achieved by the listed company issuing new shares in order to acquire the private company. Since the private company is larger than the listed one, the listed company has to issue so many new shares that the shareholders of the private company end up with a controlling stake in the listed company.

The foregoing summary is provided for information purposes only and is not to be considered legal or business advice. The information may not be complete, accurate or applicable for any particular situation and should not be relied upon.