Stock exchange traded funds rose Monday morning after a six-week losing streak as several corporate deals helped lift equities.
VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC) announced a $2 billion deal for Timberland (NYSE: TBL). VF shares vaulted about 11% while Timberland surged more than 40% on the news.
The deal implies a 43% premium to the Friday closing price, although the takeover price is still slightly below Timberland’s 52-week high, Wall Street Strategies said in a note.
“To be clear, this is a fantastic deal strategically and valuation wise for VF Corp … and follows a swift decline in Timberland shares as it missed badly on first-quarter earnings,” the analysts wrote. The deal provides “sourcing opportunites” as Timberland’s platform is combined with North Face. The Timberland brand has “global awareness,” they added.
Retail HOLDRS (AMEX: RTH) was up nearly 1% in morning trade Monday.