Assume the following financial data for the Noble Corporation and Barnes
Enterprises:
Noble
Corporation
Barnes
Enterprises
Total earnings ......................................................... \(1,820,000 \)5,620,000
Number of shares of stock outstanding ................. 650,000 2,810,000
Earnings per share ................................................. \(2.80 \)2.00
Price-earnings ratio (P/E) ....................................... 203 283
Market price per share............................................ \(56 \)56
a.If all the shares of the Noble Corporation are exchanged for those of Barnes
Enterprises on a share-for-share basis, what will postmerger earnings per share
be for Barnes Enterprises? Use an approach similar to that in Table 20-3.
b.Explain why the earnings per share of Barnes Enterprises changed.
c.Can we necessarily assume that Barnes Enterprises is better off after the
merger?