Risk-arb spread on an all-cash take-private with ticking fee A fixed $20.25 offer cap is the ceiling. Arb buying compresses the market price toward it. The residual spread decomposes into time-cost, deal-break probability, and topping-bid uncertainty, floored by a 6%/yr ticking-fee accrual. Two locked gates seal financing and vote risk. $22 $20 $18 $16 $14 target share price offer cap $20.25 ticking-fee floor Thoma Bravo equity commitment financing risk: sealed Altamont 82% voting lock vote risk: sealed Insurance regulator timing gate open: the operative break var Binding all-cash merger agreement arb buying target $19.51 equilibrium: pinned near cap time cost break prob topping bid residual spread $0.00 (0.0%)
Offer cap $20.25
Implied market price $19.51
Residual spread $0.74 (3.8%)
Ticking-fee floor $0.00
Deal-break probability 4%
Time to close (months) 15
Ticking-fee accrual (%/yr) 6.0%