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Mergers vs. Acquisitions: What's the Difference? While often used interchangeably, there's a subtle but important distinction: Merger: Imagine two companies of roughly equal size deciding to join forces to create a brand new, single entity . Both original companies often cease to exist legally, giving birth to a new name and a new beginning. It's like two rivers flowing into one larger, more powerful river. Acquisition: This is when one company buys out another company , effectively absorbing it. The acquiring company remains the dominant entity, and the acquired company usually becomes a part of the acquirer, perhaps as a subsidiary, or simply disappears into its operations. Think of a big fish swallowing a smaller fish. The big fish is still the big fish, just a bit bigger. In the real world, the lines can blur, but both lead to the consolidation of assets and operations under one roof. Why Do Companies Engage in M&A? The Strategic Chessboard Companies don'...