Palo Alto-CyberArk Merger Finalized: Why CyberArk’s Stock Just Took a Dive

Deal dust settles—but Wall Street's not cheering.

Palo Alto's $10B acquisition of CyberArk closed today, yet shares of the identity-security giant slid 8% in early trading. Here's the ugly truth the press releases won't say:

The premium paradox

Despite the 30% acquisition premium Palo Alto paid, investors are treating CyberArk like last year's zero-day exploit—suddenly obsolete. Blame the classic 'buy the rumor, sell the news' dance.

Synergy skepticism

Analysts whisper about integration risks as Palo Alto digests its biggest purchase ever. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike's CTO just tweeted a popcorn emoji. Coincidence?

Bottom line

Another 'strategic' tech deal that enriched bankers and burned momentum traders. But hey—at least the merger arbitrage guys got their 2% spread.