Dawn Raid

In the stock market, a “dawn raid” occurs when an investor (the “predator”) looking to gain control of a company (the “victim”) via a hostile takeover purchases all available company stocks as soon as the relevant stock exchange opens for trading.

A dawn raid allows a predator to obtain a controlling stake in a victim before the victim has a chance to take preventative measures. Purchases are performed through stock brokers, making it difficult for shark watchers to trace the predator until the transactions have already occurred.

Some countries, like the United Kingdom, have put legal measures in place to held prevent this type of hostile takeover, requiring shareholders to declare their shares to company boards as soon as their stake reaches a certain threshold.

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