M&A & Merger ModelsMedium

What makes an acquisition accretive or dilutive to EPS?

Model answer

Compare the buyer's P/E to the effective cost of the acquisition. A rough all-stock rule: if the acquirer's P/E is higher than the target's P/E, the deal is accretive; if lower, dilutive. More generally, if the after-tax yield on what you're acquiring exceeds the after-tax cost of financing (cash, debt or stock), EPS rises.

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