ESL Podcast 868 - Mergers and Acquisitions
to merge - to combine two companies to form a new company
How many people will lose their jobs when the companies merge?
to hear through the grapevine - to hear a rumor; to hear someone say that something is true or happening, but not have any proof and know that it may not actually be true
I heard through the grapevine that Joel and Noemi broke up. Is that true?
hostile takeover - an event where one company buys another without the approval of that company's executives or board of directors
Nobody realized that Acme Corporation was buying shares in order to pursue a hostile takeover of the company.
equals - people or organizations that have the same rights and responsibilities, with the same amount of importance or significance
In a perfect world, husbands and wives would be equals, but in reality, one person is usually the decision-maker.
integration - the way two things are put together or mixed together to create something new where all the parts or pieces work together
The racial integration of schools in the southern United States was an important social issue in the 1960s.
seamless - very smooth, without any problems, especially referring to where two things join each other
Please practice the introduction so that it is seamless with the rest of your speech.
don't you believe it - a phrase used to contradict what another person has said, meaning that one disagrees with the other person and thinks he or she is incorrect
A: Mom said she's going to host a simple Thanksgiving meal this year. B: Don't you believe it! She says that every year, but then she makes it too fancy and ends up spending days in the kitchen.
valuation - an assessment of the value of something; a determination of how much money something is worth
How much do square footage and the number of bedrooms affect the valuation of a new home?
asset - something that is valuable and can be sold to receive cash
For most American families, their home is their greatest asset.
in pieces - with many parts; not all at once or altogether; one at a time
It's interesting to watch sculptors who work in pieces, finishing one detailed part of a sculpture before moving onto the next part.
acquisition - purchase; the process of buying something so that one is the owner and has it
Pedro spent most of his life involved in the acquisition of expensive things, but as he became older, he realized that family and friends are more important.
to consolidate - to put two or more things together so that they form one strong unit; to unite or combine
These consolidated financial statements show the profitability of all our offices, not just our headquarters.
business entity - a company, corporation, or firm; an organization that tries to make money by selling products or services
Have you structured your business entity as a partnership or a sole proprietorship?
synergy - cooperation and coordination between two or more people or organizations that produces stronger, better, or more influential results than either of the people or organizations could have achieved alone
The best teams have strong synergy that produces a lot of exciting, creative ideas.
to buy - to believe something; to be persuaded; to be convinced of something
Did you buy Linda's story about how she lost her cell phone?
the shirt on (one's) back - a phrase used to talk about losing almost everything one has
Dave sold the shirt on his back to try to keep his restaurant open, but it just wasn't profitable and he had to close it.