The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.61%) is having a solid day, rising 0.9% near the end of the trading session after the Federal Reserve said it doesn't have a specific exit plan from its current monetary stimulus. Meeting minutes from the Fed's April meeting show that the Fed is considering how to tighten monetary policy without deciding on an exact plan yet. That gives flexibility and may indicate that low rates are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
While 28 of 30 Dow components were rising late in trading today, AT&T (T 2.11%) continues to be a laggard since it announced the acquisition of DIRECTV (DTV +0.00%).
AT&T's buyout of DIRECTV sinking its stock
Quietly, AT&T's stock has sunk rapidly since the company announced the DIRECTV buyout. This is notable because as AT&T's stock falls, it means more shares will go to DIRECTV shareholders to make up the $95 purchase price. There's a collar that adjusts shares given to DIRECTV shareholders in the buyout between $34.90 and $38.58. At the bottom end of the range, DIRECTV shareholders would get 1.905 shares in the deal, but that's the max they'll receive.
The latest obstacle for the deal comes from DIRECTV's own shareholders, who are suing to block the merger, saying it undervalues the company. Eventually, the takeover will go to shareholders for approval, so this is a small bump in the road if anything, but it's grabbing headlines today.
What's interesting is that AT&T's investors aren't terribly excited about the deal and are actually giving up more of the company as the stock sinks lower.
Of course, it'll likely be a year before the buyout takes place, and share prices can fluctuate wildly in that amount of time. DIRECTV also has to get its NFL Sunday Ticket deal done with the NFL to keep AT&T from having an out. AT&T's CFO recently said the agreement will be handled entirely by DIRECTV.
The ups and downs of buyouts can happen quickly, but at the end of the day, this merger makes sense for both sides. DIRECTV needs an owner who isn't tied to cable subscriptions and can expand streaming, while AT&T wants the added services, spectrum, and NFL Sunday Ticket.
