Learn in the textbookM&A and Corporate Restructuring
DefinitionM&A is the umbrella term for mergers and acquisitions: ways of gaining management control of a company or combining several companies into one.
ExplanationA merger means several companies legally become one, while an acquisition means gaining management control of the target, for example by buying its shares. An acquired company often stays a separate company as a subsidiary. The advantage is speed: sales channels, technology and talent can be obtained sooner than by building them from scratch.
AnalogyLike folding separate shops into one, or buying another shop outright, to make your own business much stronger in one move.