Topic: How To Invest

Spinoffs & Takeovers Hotline – Friday, February 28, 2020

Article Excerpt

MORGAN STANLEY, $45.03, symbol MS on New York, is a global financial services company with offices in more than 41 countries. On February 20, 2020, Morgan announced it would acquire E*Trade Financial Corp. (symbol ETFC on Nasdaq) for $13 billion. The all-stock transaction will see E*Trade shareholders receive 1.0432 shares of Morgan Stanley in return for each share of E*Trade they now hold. That’s the equivalent of $46.98 per E*Trade share based on the current trading price of Morgan Stanley. ETFC shares are currently trading at $45.78. The combined entity will have assets of $3.2 trillion under management, 8.2 million retail client relationships, and 4.6 million stock-plan participants (managing the stock that employees at hundreds of companies receive as part of their pay). The deal increases Morgan Stanley’s wealth management capabilities across three channels: Financial Advisory, Workplace, and Self-Directed. The acquisition brings together Morgan Stanley’s full-service advisory with E*Trade’s direct-to-consumer business model. Should E*Trade walk away from the deal, Morgan Stanley will get a..