Try This Merger Arb Play for a Quick Win By Sham Gad About this article: I never thought that in the early part of 2009 we would have a merger arbitrage opportunity that has a high probability of being completed, still offers an attractive return, and should be completed within the next two months. But indeed that's what we have with this trade. It's short and sweet, and it stands a very good chance of making investors a 5% to 7% return in less than two months, for an annualized return of 30% to 42%. And this trade can be made just as easily with small or larger sums of capital, so investors of all sizes can participate. This could be a valuable return in an otherwise shaky market. What we have is a bank merger that looks like a very solid bet. Back in December, M&T Bank announced plans to acquire Provident Bankshares . This may come as a shock to some,... Or, call us at 1-866-321-TSCM (8726) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET. Outside the U.S. and in Canada, call 1-212-321-5200. More Stories From RealMoney Durable Goods Up Move Down the Tech Food Chain Jobless Claims Still High Bulls' Tenacity Is the Big Question Mark Should You Buy It? Pharmaceutical Product Development Bad News Trumps All Support for Banks Holds, For Now Bummer, Yields Are on the Rise Money on the Line Makes a Big Difference Structured Products: Unsafe at Any Price MORE STORIES FROM REALMONEY

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