What happens if a company I own shares in goes through a merger or acquisition?
If any stock in your portfolio is impacted by a merger or acquisition (M&A), we'll automatically update your position, so don't worry. You don't need to do anything else. Depending on the activity, you may get cash or new shares under a different ticker symbol.
For a merger, when two companies combine, your stock position will be replaced and usually updated with the newly established entity and ticker symbol. For an acquisition, when one company acquires another, the changes to your portfolio will depend on whether you currently hold the acquiring company or the acquired company.
If you hold the acquiring company, your holdings won't change. If you hold the acquired company, these shares will be replaced by either cash or new stock in the acquiring company, or both, depending on the terms of the deal. Stock prices can change during this time period and market value of your positions can change, as the market reacts to the M&A news.