A telecom giant had some surprising investment news last week. It was expected that a majority of Sprint (S) would soon be bought out by Japan's SoftBank, while Sprint would potentially buy out smaller company Clearwire. But just like a soap opera, a huge plot twist might be in the works, with two surprising new players: DISH Network (DISH) and Verizon (VZ -0.53%). The companies have made plans to buy out both Sprint and Clearwire, respectively.

Clearwire, Sprint, and Verizon stock have all enjoyed a boost in price since the news broke, but what does this really mean for investors looking to buy stocks? Fool contributor Caroline Bennett examines the situation, and tells investors whether Sprint shareholders should be excited -- or apprehensive -- about this turn of events.