Why Emeritus Corp. Shares Soared

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Emeritus skyrocketed as much as 41% after the operator of senior living facilities in the United States agreed to be purchased by Brookdale Senior Living for $1.4 billion ($2.8 billion including debt).

So what: Under the terms of the deal, which was announced after the closing bell last night, Emeritus shareholders will receive 0.95 shares of Brookdale common stock, valuing the company at $29.58 per share as of this writing. The combined company will have 1,161 locations across 46 of the 50 U.S. states, as well as 10% of the senior housing market share, leaving plenty of room for further market share expansion. The buyout is expected to be EPS neutral in the first year for Brookdale, but will add $0.40 in EPS by the third year, and is expected to close sometime in the third quarter.

Now what: It's a smart move for both companies, with Emeritus shareholders getting a hefty premium based on yesterday's close and Brookdale entering the more populated West Coast markets via its new acquisition. It's also a smart maneuver considering that Medicare reimbursements are likely to fall over the long term as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues to pare back as much health-related government assistance as is reasonable Thus, cost synergies from their merger should work in Brookdale's favor. Falling Medicare reimbursements do personally concern me, though, which is why I'd prefer to stay on the sidelines following today's pop; but I'd certainly be all for adding Brookdale to your watchlist moving forward.

Emeritus shares may be skyrocketing today, but they'll likely be hard-pressed to keep up with this top stock in 2014
There's a huge difference between a good stock and a stock that can make you rich. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for 2014, and it's one of those stocks that could make you rich. You can find out which stock it is in the special free report "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

The article Why Emeritus Corp. Shares Soared originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool has no position in any companies mentioned in this article. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2014 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.