Corporate Actions and Events
Stock splits, mergers, spinoffs, buybacks, and earnings announcements all affect share prices in different ways. These articles explain what each corporate action means for shareholders, how to evaluate whether management's moves create or destroy value, and how to position your portfolio around these events.
Stock Splits, Reverse Splits, and Share Consolidations
Understand why splits don't change value but do change cost basis, option contracts, and sometimes signal management confidence
Mergers, Acquisitions, and the Shareholder Vote Process
Navigate M&A announcements like a professional: understand deal premiums averaging 36%, voting mechanics, and why acquirer shareholders often fare worse than targets
Cash vs. Stock Dividends: Timeline and Taxation
Master dividend timelines under T+1 settlement and avoid the 61-day holding trap that costs investors thousands in unnecessary ordinary income taxes
Corporate Restructurings and Bankruptcy Outcomes: What Shareholders Actually Recover
Learn why common shareholders recovered just 0.97% from 2005-2016 bankruptcies, and how to recognize distress signals before your position becomes worthless
Impact of Index Additions or Deletions
Understand why the S&P 500 inclusion effect has largely disappeared for graduated additions while outside additions still show 3-8% abnormal returns
Using Merger Arbitrage Spreads
Learn how merger arb strategies generate 1.5% average returns per deal with 89% success rates, and why spreads have compressed 400+ basis points since 2002
How Earnings Announcements Change Liquidity
Understand the liquidity dynamics around earnings events, where implied volatility spikes, spreads widen, and strategic timing can add 60+ basis points monthly
Tracking Special Dividends and One-Time Distributions: When Companies Return Windfall Cash
Learn to identify, tax-plan, and position around special dividends like Costco's $15/share payout—including the option adjustment mechanics most investors miss
Tax Considerations for Corporate Actions
Master the tax treatment of stock splits, spin-offs, mergers, and dividends to avoid costly mistakes like double-taxing reinvested dividends or misallocating spin-off cost basis
Rights Issues and Follow-On Offerings
Protect your ownership stake when companies raise capital: understand TERP calculations, subscription decisions, and why non-participation costs you more than the headline discount
Option Adjustments After Corporate Actions
Understand exactly how stock splits, special dividends, and mergers change your option contracts before your position becomes worth something you didn't expect
Glossary: Corporate Action Terminology
Essential definitions for 28 corporate action terms, from ex-dividend dates to poison pills, providing quick reference for investors tracking company events
How to Interpret 13D and 13G Activist Filings: When Major Investors Signal Their Moves
Learn to decode Schedule 13D activist disclosures using the new 5-day filing deadline, and distinguish passive 13G positions from active campaigns
Event Calendars and Trading Playbooks
Build a systematic calendar of corporate events and SEC filings to capture predictable market patterns, from index additions averaging 3% returns to dividend timelines under T+1 settlement
Share Buybacks: Accelerated Programs and Tender Offers
Decode buyback announcements beyond headlines and understand why companies repurchasing stock have delivered 12.1% excess returns over 4 years historically
Monitoring Insider Transactions and Form 4s
Learn to read SEC Form 4 filings for investment signals, with historical insider-buying portfolios returning 25.8% annually versus 15.6% for the market
Proxy Voting, Record Dates, and AGM Season: Your Ownership Rights as an Active Shareholder
Learn how to read proxy statements, vote on M&A deals and executive pay, and exercise the shareholder rights most investors ignore