What is a poison pill provision?

A poison pill provision is a corporate bond provision that gives the bondholder the right to put the bond back to the company at face value if the company is acquired. This provision protects the bondholder from being diluted if the company is acquired.

What is the purpose of a poison pill provision?

A poison pill provision is designed to make a hostile takeover of a company harder to achieve. The provision allows the target company’s board of directors to issue new shares of stock at a discount to existing shareholders if someone tries to acquire more than a certain percentage of the company’s stock. This dilutes the value of the stock and makes it less attractive to the would-be acquirer. Poison pill provisions are also known as shareholder rights plans.

What are the benefits of a poison pill provision?

A poison pill provision, also known as a shareholder rights plan, is a provision in a company’s charter that is designed to deter hostile takeovers. Poison pills come in a variety of forms, but all have the same goal: to make it more expensive and difficult for an unwelcome acquirer to buy up enough shares of the company to take control.

There are a few different ways that poison pills can work. One common method is to grant existing shareholders the right to buy additional shares at a discount if someone tries to acquire a certain percentage of the company. This makes it more expensive for the acquirer to buy up enough shares to take control, and it also makes it more difficult because existing shareholders are less likely to sell their shares.

Poison pills can also be used to prevent hostile takeovers by giving shareholders the right to vote on any proposed takeover attempt. This makes it much harder for an unwelcome acquirer to get enough support from shareholders to make a successful bid.

Some poison pill provisions are triggered automatically if someone tries to acquire a certain percentage of the company’s shares, while others require the board of directors to approve the measure before it goes into effect. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Automatic poison pills may deter some potential acquirers who might otherwise be interested in making a bid, while board-approved poison pills give directors more control over when and how they are used.

Poison pill provisions are not without their critics. Some argue that they can be used improperly to entrench management and protect them from accountability. Others argue that they can be used unnecessarily to discourage friendly takeover bids that might be in the best interests of shareholders. Nonetheless, poison pill provisions remain a popular tool for companies looking to protect themselves from unwanted takeover attempts.

How do poison pill provisions work?

A “poison pill” is a corporate defense tactic used against hostile takeovers. It gives the target company’s shareholders the right to buy more shares at a discount if an outside party tries to acquire a controlling stake. This makes the stock less attractive to the would-be acquirer, who would then likely walk away.

How do poison pill provisions trigger?

Poison pill provisions are poison pills that are written into a company’s governing documents and are designed to prevent a hostile takeover. The provision gives the board of directors the power to issue new shares of stock at a discounted price to existing shareholders if a hostile bidder tries to acquire a controlling stake in the company. The poison pill is usually triggered when someone tries to acquire more than a certain percentage of the company’s stock.

The new shares of stock issued under the poison pill provision dilute the value of the existing shares, making them less attractive to the hostile bidder. The goal is to make it too expensive for the bidder to continue with the takeover attempt. Poison pill provisions can also be used to prevent a single shareholder from gaining too much control of the company.

What happens when a poison pill provision is triggered?

When a poison pill provision is triggered, the company in question will generally issue a large number of new shares of stock, making it much harder for a hostile takeover to occur. The new shareholders will dilute the voting power of the hostile shareholders, making it much harder for them to take over the company.

Find more on bonds here: and also see the history of junk bonds.

What are the downsides of poison pill provisions?

A poison pill provision is a bond provision that gives the bondholder the right to accelerate the maturity of the bond if the issuer undergoes a change of control. This provision is designed to make it more difficult for an acquirer to take over the issuer. However, there are a few downsides to this provision.

What are the costs of a poison pill provision?

There are a few key costs associated with poison pill provisions, particularly for the target company. First, the target company will incur the expenses associated with adopting the poison pill provision in the first place. These costs can include legal and accounting fees related to drafting and implementing the provision. Additionally, once the provision is in place, the target company will incur ongoing costs associated with maintaining compliance with the poison pill provisions (e.g., monitoring for potential triggering events, etc.).

Another cost of poison pill provisions is that they can make it more difficult for a company to be acquired, even by a friendly acquirer. This is because the presence of a poison pill provision can make it more complicated and expensive to complete an acquisition. For example, if a potential acquirer wants to launch a hostile takeover attempt, the presence of a poison pill provision can make it more difficult and expensive to do so (since the acquirer would need to find a way to circumvent or eliminate the poison pill provision).

Finally, it is worth noting that poison pill provisions are not always successful at deterring hostile takeover attempts. In some cases, acquirers have been able to successfully take over companies despite the presence of poison pill provisions.

What are the risks of a poison pill provision?

Poison pill provisions can be a risky proposition for companies, as they can often lead to litigation and uncertainty. If a company is contemplating implementing a poison pill provision, it is important to consult with counsel to ensure that the provision is drafted correctly and in compliance with applicable law.