• silence7@slrpnk.netOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    8 months ago

    Sounds like abritrage between stock options and the stock, but I don’t trust the press to get this kind of thing right; there’s a graduate-level finance class in derivatives like this.

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      It’s not that complicated. Don’t make finance seem unapproachable.

      The explanation isn’t great but it sounds like they are basically just buying a warrant (call option issued by the company) at a low price and selling the shares short at a higher price. That would create a riskless profit if you wait for the merger to be approved.

      If the stock goes way up, you make money on the warrant and pay some back on the short. If the stock drops, you make money on the short and lose some on the warrant.

      Usually this strategy doesn’t work but trading in this stock is not rational. It’s like they’re borrowing apples to sell them at $3 now and paying it back with a guaranteed $2 apple later.