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Investing.com -- Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) has agreed to acquire real estate firm Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:BRDG) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion, expanding its presence in real estate investing.
Under the terms of the deal, Bridge shareholders and unit holders of its subsidiary will receive 0.07081 shares of Apollo stock for each share they own, valuing Bridge shares at $11.50. The offer represents a 45% premium over Bridge’s last closing price.
Bridge shares surged more than 34% in premarket trading Monday following the announcement.
As of Friday, Bridge had a market capitalization of $960 million. Its stock had fallen nearly 20% in the past three months, reflecting the impact of higher interest rates on real estate valuations.
Apollo, which managed $751 billion in assets at the end of 2024, is aiming to grow its assets under management to $1.5 trillion by 2029. CEO Marc Rowan has emphasized the firm’s strategy of pursuing selective “tuck-in” acquisitions to strengthen areas where it seeks to scale.
The Bridge acquisition follows Apollo’s recent deals, including the purchase of Argo Infrastructure Partners in January and an agreement to acquire collateralized-loan-obligation manager Irradiant Partners last week.
"Bridge will provide Apollo with immediate scale to its real estate equity platform and enhance Apollo’s origination capabilities in both real estate equity and credit," Apollo stated.
Founded in 2009 and listed publicly in 2021, Bridge manages around $50 billion in assets with a team of over 300 professionals focused on real estate investments. Upon completion of the acquisition, expected in the third quarter, Bridge will continue to operate as a standalone platform within Apollo’s asset management division.
Bridge Executive Chairman Bob Morse will join Apollo as a partner and lead its real-estate equity division.