Accretion / dilution
Does the deal add to the acquirer's earnings per share?
- Accretive means pro forma EPS exceeds standalone EPS.
- Cheap currency plus an expensive-earning target drives accretion.
- Accretion measures optics, not economic value creation.
The core test
Pro forma EPS = (acquirer net income + target net income + after-tax synergies − after-tax financing cost) ÷ (acquirer shares + new shares issued).
If pro forma EPS is above standalone EPS, the deal is accretive. Below, dilutive.
The shortcut
Compare yields. The acquirer's cost of acquisition currency versus the target's earnings yield (inverse P/E).
All-stock rule of thumb: if the acquirer's P/E is higher than the target's effective purchase P/E, the deal is accretive.
All-cash rule of thumb: compare the target's earnings yield to the after-tax cost of the debt or the forgone interest on cash.
What it does not tell you
Accretion is not value creation. A deal can be accretive and still destroy value if the acquirer overpaid for a lower-quality business.
It matters because public shareholders and boards watch EPS closely.
Apply the lesson to explain does the deal add to the acquirer's earnings per share? Start with the answer, show the bridge, and sanity-check the direction before stopping.
- 1Lead with the definition or conclusion for accretion / dilution.
- 2Show the mechanics in a fixed sequence and state every assumption.
- 3Finish with the practical implication, risk, or reason the result matters.
Acquirer trades at 20x, target is bought at 14x, all stock. The deal is:
An all-cash deal is funded with debt at 8% pre-tax, 30% tax. The target's earnings yield is 6%. The deal is:
- Accretive means pro forma EPS exceeds standalone EPS.
- Cheap currency plus an expensive-earning target drives accretion.
- Accretion measures optics, not economic value creation.