How does share issuance for an acquisition affect existing shareholders?

When a company issues new shares to finance an acquisition, it increases the total number of shares outstanding. As a result, the ownership percentage of existing shareholders typically diminishes because their proportion of the company's equity is now smaller relative to the overall total. This dilution means that existing shareholders hold a smaller piece of the same company, which can impact their voting power and share of profits.

In contrast to other choices, which suggest outcomes like increased voting power, no impact on ownership, or guaranteed higher dividends, the reality of share issuance for acquisitions usually leads to dilution of ownership percentage. As companies may issue more shares to raise capital, existing shareholders should closely monitor how this affects their stake in the company.