Terns (TERN): Merger-Arb Play After Merck's $53 Bid — Strong Buy
Merck announced a $53 per-share all-cash acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to add TERN-701 to its hematology pipeline. TERN trades at $52.96 — essentially at the offer level — creating a mid-term merger-arbitrage setup. The trade is a buy with a tight horizon toward a Q2 2026 close, but it comes with deal-execution risk after Merck trimmed a pri…