Six Flags
and
Cedar Fair
are combining in a $2 billion merger that will create a theme park powerhouse, sending shares in both park operators sharply higher.
The all-stock deal will create a combined company worth some $3.5 billion to operate under the name Six Flags and trade under the ticker of
Cedar Fair
(ticker: FUN), according to The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news, citing the companies. Investors in Cedar Fair will own about 51% of the combined group, but Six Flags (SIX) will get an equal number of members on the new board, according to the report.
The deal will see Six Flags shareholders get 0.58 shares of stock in the new group for each share they own, the report said. The tie-up will create a regional theme park titan to compete with larger rivals like
Disney
(DIS) and Universal, owned by
Comcast
(CMCSA), with 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks, the report said.
Shares in Six Flags jumped 5.5% on Wednesday after the Journal reported the companies were nearing a deal, with the stock advancing another 2.3% in the Thursday premarket. Cedar Fair stock gained 5.7% on Wednesday and rose a further 3.4% in premarket trading on Thursday.
Write to Jack Denton at jack.denton@barrons.com
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