What happens when a private company is acquired by a public company?
Michael Gray
Updated on March 03, 2026
In a reverse takeover, shareholders of the private company purchase control of the public shell company/SPAC and then merge it with the private company. The private company shareholders receive a substantial majority of the shares of the public company and control of its board of directors.
How does a public company acquire a private company?
A public company can transition to private ownership when a buyer acquires the majority of it shares. This public-to-private transaction effectively takes the company private by de-listing its shares from a public stock exchange.
How do you tell if a company is privately owned?
A company is private if it is closely-held (typically family owned or through private equity). It is not possible for the general public to buy shares. In most jurisdictions (e.g., Canada or the United States), private companies do not need to file annual reports or disclose financial information to the public.
What happens if your company is acquired?
With both mergers and acquisitions, the deal may be accomplished via a cash transaction, stock exchange, or a mixture of both. In a straight acquisition, the ownership of the target company is usually transferred to the acquiring company in full.
What happens if your company gets acquired?
Some people might hear the term “merger” used during an acquisition. Acquisitions do not require any merging. A larger company will purchase a smaller company, taking over management decisions, finances, and ultimately taking over the business. Ordinarily, the new business will replace existing employees.
Can I own a public company?
Ownership of a public company is distributed among general public shareholders through the free trade of shares of stock on stock exchanges or over-the-counter (OTC) markets.
What is the advantage of buying IPO?
IPO allows companies to raise capital by selling shares. Moreover, companies don’t have to repay the capital raised through the issuance of IPO. Companies can offer stock as an incentive, bonus, or as part of an employment contract.
Can a publicly traded company make an acquisition?
Acquisitions by the company may be made with publicly traded stock. If a public company anticipates growth through acquisition, and its stock has performed well in the after-market, the company may be able to preserve its cash position and make acquisitions using its own stock as payment.
Why are public companies choosing to go private?
A public company may choose to go private for several reasons. There are a number of short- and long-term effects to consider when going private and a variety of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a look at the variables companies must look at before deciding to go private .
How is the value of a private company determined?
When the financial information of the private company is not publicly available, we search for companies that are similar to our target valuation and determine the value of the target firm using the comparable firms’ multiples. This is the most common private company valuation method.
What makes a private equity company go private?
The acquiring private-equity group typically needs to secure financing from an investment bank or related lender that can provide enough loans to help finance (and complete) the deal. The newly acquired target’s operating cash flow can then be used to pay off the debt that was used to make the acquisition possible.