Define: Acquisition

Acquisition
Acquisition
What is the dictionary definition of Acquisition?
Dictionary Definition of Acquisition

A term used to describe the takeover of a company by another which might be by agreement or hostile.

  1. The act or process of acquiring.
  2. The thing acquired or gained; a gain.
  3. computing The process of sampling signals that measure real-world physical conditions and converting these signals into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer.
Full Definition Of Acquisition

Acquiring control of a corporation, called a target, by stock purchase or exchange, either hostile or friendly. also called takeover.

In a broad sense, an acquisition takes place when one corporation takes over the controlling interest of another. An acquisition invariably results in a merger of two companies. When an acquisition occurs, the company that is being acquired is dubbed a target company. Although the term acquisition usually refers to a larger company consuming a smaller one, the outcome of an acquisition is always a formation of a single business entity from assets and liabilities of two separate units. An acquisition can come in the form of a friendly merger between two corporations. It may also come as a hostile takeover, in which the target company attempts to block the acquisition. By and large, acquisitions are sought to consolidate market influence within given industries, as well as to advance profit opportunities. In effect, a successful acquisition is determined by whether or not it has augmented the value of the acquiring company.

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This glossary post was last updated: 28th March, 2024.

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