Match the following:

1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c

A merger is a combination of two companies into one larger company. This action involves stock swap or cash payment to the target. In merger, the acquiring company takes over the assets and liabilities of the merged company. All the combining companies are dissolved and only the new entity continues to operate. In general, when the combination involves firms that are of similar size, the term, consolidation, is applied. When the two firms differ significantly by size, the term merger is used. Merger commonly takes two forms. In the first form amalgamation, two entities combine together and form a new entity, extinguishing both the existing entities. In the second form absorption, one entity gets absorbed into another. The latter does not lose its entity. Thus, in any type of merger at least one entity loses its entity.