FactSet shows poison pills at a 20 year low

FactSet, a trusted provider of takeover defense data, was cited as a key source for a recent discussion about the rapid decline of poison pills over the past 20 years in a recent Reuters article “Poison pills drop to lowest level in 20 years.”

“The number of U.S. incorporated companies with a poison pill in effect hovered at 1,000 on Tuesday, hitting the lowest level since 1990, according to FactSet SharkRepellent. In comparison, the number of poison pills in force at the end of 2001 totaled 2,218,” states the article.

FactSet’s data was used to demonstrate how the drop in poison pills has proven to be directly related to a decline in other takeover defenses. “At the end of 2009, only 164 companies in the S&P 500 had a staggered board, down from 294 at the end of 2001,” as cited in the article.

Replicate this in FactSet