Key Highlights

  • ADT trades 33.60% higher at $9.90, about $0.10 under the $10.00 per share cash offer (calculated).
  • Katapult trades 24.63% higher at $11.34 with no new release, and current holders would own about 6% of the combined company.
  • Nexera Technologies trades 25.99% lower at $0.3508, a second straight decline, after a KeepZone AI sale worth up to $6 million.
  • Melar Acquisition I trades 16.27% lower at $7.05 one week after shareholders approved the Everli combination.
  • Kiora Pharmaceuticals trades 17.80% lower at $1.94 after a $3.5 million upfront payment for KIO-401 rights.

Six Stocks With Merger, Take-Private and Licensing Deals Moving on October 29

Six stocks are moving on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and each has a deal in the background. ADT (NYSE:ADT) trades 33.60% higher at $9.90 after agreeing to a $10.00 per share cash buyout. Katapult (NASDAQ:KPLT) trades 24.63% higher at $11.34, with no new release and an all-stock merger pending. Nexera Technologies (NASDAQ:NEXR) trades 25.99% lower at $0.3508 after agreeing to sell KeepZone AI, and Melar Acquisition I (NASDAQ:MACI) trades 16.27% lower at $7.05 after approving the Everli merger.

Kiora Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:KPRX) trades 17.80% lower at $1.94 after in-licensing KIO-401, and Stratum Holdings (NASDAQ:SRTM) trades 22.70% lower at $0.1689 after two non-binding letters of intent, with no release dated to the fall. Each section below condenses one story, followed by calculated comparisons.

ADT: How Much of the $10.00 Cash Offer Is Already Reflected?

ADT agreed to be acquired by Thrive Holdings for $10.00 per share in cash, valuing the company at about $7.6 billion in equity and $15.3 billion including debt. Financing comes from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO), with no financing condition. The implied prior close is about $7.41 (calculated), and the offer is 45.6% above the unaffected $6.87 close of October 27. The deal needs stockholder approval and U.S. antitrust clearance, with closing targeted for the first quarter of 2027, and a go-shop runs through Saturday, November 28, 2026.

Katapult: A 24.63% Surge Without New Results

No company release carrying new earnings or deal terms was dated to the move, and the implied prior close is about $9.10 (calculated). Katapult, a Plano, Texas lease-to-own provider, signed an all-stock merger agreement with Aaron's and CCF Holdings on December 11, 2025, under which current stockholders would own about 6% of the combined company. Second-quarter revenue grew 4.0% to $74.8 million and the net loss narrowed to $4.4 million. The August 4 release expected closing in August 2026, and the draw period of a related facility now runs to November 30, 2026.

Nexera Technologies: The KeepZone AI Sale and How Little Is Guaranteed

On October 27, Nexera agreed to sell KeepZone AI to an unnamed aerospace and defense company for up to $6 million, but only $1 million is payable at closing, in stock and possibly pre-funded warrants. The remainder is 50% of 24-month after-tax profit, capped at $5 million, and closing requires regulatory, Nasdaq and counterparty approvals. The stock also fell on October 28, and no release dated October 28 or 29 came with the moves. Nexera's majority-owned Fort Technology (NASDAQ:FRTT) reported first-half revenue up 49% to $7.36 million, a subsidiary figure.

Melar Acquisition I: A 16.27% Drop Following Shareholder Approval

No company release dated October 29 came with the fall, and the implied prior close is about $8.42 (calculated). Shareholders approved the business combination with Everli Global, an Italian e-grocery marketplace, on October 22, 2026, and the combined company is expected to trade as EVRL. The combination was valued at $180 million at signing, and the company has said it expects to close promptly. The units were sold at $10.00, so $7.05 sits about 29.5% under that level (calculated). Company figures for redemptions were not given in its release.

Kiora Pharmaceuticals: The Cost of the Senju KIO-401 License

Kiora in-licensed the oral calpain inhibitor KIO-401 from Senju Pharmaceutical for central retinal artery occlusion, with exclusive rights outside Asia. It pays $3.5 million upfront plus a low-teens-of-millions payment on technology transfer, expected in 2027, and is weighing financing alternatives with no amount given. On June 30 it held cash and short-term investments of about $16.8 million, and equity value is roughly $8.6 million at today's price (calculated). A US Phase 3 trial is targeted for 2027, subject to funding.

Stratum Holdings: Two Non-Binding Letters of Intent and a Thin Float

No release dated October 27, 28 or 29 came with the 22.70% fall, and the implied prior close is about $0.2185 (calculated). On October 19 Stratum described a non-binding letter of intent to sell its legacy real estate businesses, and on October 26 a second one with Ocean Power Technologies (NASDAQ:OPTT) covering offshore data centre assets. Neither is a contract. The tradable float is about 555,000 shares, which can exaggerate moves, and the stock completed reverse splits in April and September 2026.

Deal Moves Side by Side: The Gap Between ADT and Nexera Technologies

The spread between the biggest gainer, ADT at 33.60%, and the biggest decliner, Nexera Technologies at 25.99% lower, is 59.59 percentage points (calculated). Katapult's 24.63% gain and Melar Acquisition I's 16.27% fall sit 40.90 percentage points apart (calculated). Only ADT has a signed cash price, and it trades about 1.0% under it (calculated).

Deal sizes differ widely, though the bases are not alike. ADT's roughly $7.6 billion equity value is about 42 times Melar's $180 million at signing (calculated). The $1 million payable to Nexera at closing is about 16.7% of the up to $6 million headline (calculated), and Kiora's $3.5 million upfront payment is about 40.7% of its roughly $8.6 million equity value (calculated).

Next Markers: The November 28 Go-Shop End and Other Dated Deal Steps

ADT's go-shop ends Saturday, November 28, 2026, ahead of proxy filings and a vote. Katapult's facility date is November 30, 2026, with third-quarter results expected in mid-November. Melar Acquisition I and Everli Global must complete closing and move to EVRL, Nexera Technologies needs its approvals, Stratum Holdings needs definitive agreements and a November report, and Kiora Pharmaceuticals has a financing announcement pending.