The deal
Definitive agreement
The signed, binding contract to combine, the point at which a target stops being a rumour.
Also written: merger agreement, business combination agreement
Signing is disclosed in a current report on Form 8-K, usually under Item 1.01, and almost always alongside a Form 425 communication and a press release.
Signing is not closing. Between the two sit a registration statement, regulatory clearance, a shareholder vote and a redemption window, and deals fail at every one of those steps.
Related terms
Business combination
The merger that turns the shell and a private company into one listed operating business.
Form 8-K
The current report, used to disclose anything material between periodic reports.
Form 425
A filed communication about a pending business combination, including press releases and investor decks.
See the term in the wild: the screener shows trust size, per-share value and deadlines for every U.S. SPAC, and each profile links to the filings the numbers came from.
Definitions describe market practice and are not investment, legal or tax advice.