Types of Acquisition – Shares Acquisition 
The ownership of the target firm is transferred through a share purchase where the buyer buys all or most of the target company's shares. The buyer and the owner(s) of the shares (the seller(s)) enter into a sale and purchase agreement. The target company still owns and manages the business and is generally in exactly the same condition as it was before the acquisition. Whatever assets, liabilities, rights, or obligations the target company had prior to the acquisition would still be there.
Individual shareholders, corporate shareholders, or a combination of both may be the sellers. A group structure is used to run many firms since they are owned by other enterprises. The fact that each company within the group is an independent legal entity with limited liability is a big part of what makes operating through a group of companies appealing over operating through divisions of a single firm. For instance, unless it has decided to bear liability for them or there are other exceptional circumstances, the parent firm is not accountable for the debts of its subsidiaries. A target firm is referred to as a "whollyowned subsidiary" if another organisation (the target business's "holding company") owns all of its shares in the target company. In this instance, the holding company is the sole vendor. To be a holding company, a company does not necessarily need to own all of the shares of another company. Under Section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), two companies are categorised as holding companies and subsidiaries under English law if one effectively controls more than half the voting rights in another.

Although effective control would be transferred if this controlling shareholding were sold, the buyer will often desire to purchase the entire issued share capital of the business. Therefore, the owners of the remaining shares will join the holding company in this scenario as a seller in the acquisition transaction. Thus, the selling can be a combination of institutional and private investors. An individual (or individuals) or, perhaps more frequently, a business might purchase the shares. The target company becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of the buyer if another business buys all of its shares.

A buyer will typically want to purchase all of the target company's shares, but if that is not possible, for instance because some shares are held by a shareholder who won't sell, the buyer may still proceed and purchase the majority of the target's shares, giving them control even though they will have to deal with the inconvenience of a dissident shareholder within the company.
If the target firm has a subsidiary, or if it holds shares in another company, then ownership of that subsidiary will transfer together with the target's other assets.

​Introduction to Share Acquisition 
In a share acquisition, the purchaser buys shares in the firm that owns and runs the business. The buyer and the holders of the shares enter into a contract. In such a deal, the buyer receives ownership of the company, but the business's ownership remains unchanged. The company still owns the business, together with all of its assets and ongoing liabilities.

​Introduction to Asset Acquisition 
An asset acquisition entails the buyer obtaining the business's assets as well as some pre-agreed liabilities. The contract is made between the buyer and the business's asset owner, who could be a single person, a partnership, or a corporation. The company's assets may comprise both tangible ones like real estate, equipment, and stock, as well as intangible ones like goodwill and intellectual property. The buyer will eventually own the company and run it utilising the assets they have just bought.

​Introduction to Acquisition
The term "acquisition" is used to describe a wide variety of transactions that either involve the sale and purchase of the underlying assets of an operational business or the sale and purchase of the ownership and control of a corporate entity that operates a business. Both of these types of transactions are considered acquisitions. Whatever the size or nature of the parties involved or the entity that is being bought, all acquisitions share the same primary issues. These concerns are common regardless of which entity is being acquired. The purchaser is responsible for making certain that they get exactly what it is that they want (and nothing more) for the lowest price feasible. The seller will strive to reduce its ongoing commitments as much as possible while attempting to achieve the highest possible price. In order to accomplish such objectives, rigorous negotiations will take place about the terms of the proposed acquisition. Even though the aforementioned negotiations may encompass a complete series of smaller transactions involving a large number of different parties throughout a complex purchase, the fundamental ideas that have been covered will continue to apply throughout.

Private companies, such as the German GmbH, French SARL, and UK limited company, and public companies, such as the German AG, French SA or SCA, and UK plc, are the two primary categories that can be used to broadly classify the different types of corporate vehicles that are available in the majority of legal systems. When a transaction involves the acquisition of control of a public company and involves a company whose shares are listed on an investment market, there will be additional regulations that apply to the transaction in many different jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom. These regulations will apply to a transaction involving the same company. For instance, in England, the acquisition of public company shares is required to follow a formal process called a "offer," in which all of the shareholders of the company are given a document that outlines the terms on which an offer will be made for their shares.

This is one example of a formal process. This documentation referred to as a "offer" must adhere to a timetable that has been established and is governed by the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers. These regulations will also be in effect in the event that a scheme of arrangement is utilised in order to carry out the merger of a public company. If one of the parties involved in the transaction is listed on the Stock Exchange, then the Stock Exchange Listing Rules will also apply to the transaction as an additional consideration.