On Monday, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO) said Apollo-managed funds agreed to acquire Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE:EEX) and privately held Questex, LLC in separate all-cash deals aimed at creating a major North American B2B events and media platform.

Announces Emerald, Questex Acquisition Deals

The combined business would operate about 160 events across multiple industries, bringing together Emerald Holding's trade show portfolio and Questex's digital engagement platform. Apollo said the merger is designed to strengthen year-round customer engagement and support long-term organic growth in the fragmented B2B events market.

Shahid Bosan, managing director at Apollo, said the rise of AI and digital tools is increasing demand for trusted in-person industry events.

Under the agreement, Emerald Holding shareholders will receive $5.03 per share in cash, representing a 42.1% premium to the company's unaffected share price and implying an enterprise value of about $1.5 billion. Emerald Holding's board unanimously approved the transaction.

As of March 31, 2026, Apollo Global Management reported $3.56 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

Deal Expected To Close In Second Half Of 2026

Onex Corporation, which owns more than 90% of Emerald Holding's outstanding shares, agreed to vote in favor of the deal. After the transaction closes, Emerald Holding will become a privately held company and will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Separately, Emerald Holding's board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.015 per share for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The dividend will be paid June 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2026.

Emerald Holding also canceled its previously scheduled first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call following the acquisition announcement.

Apollo Global Technical Analysis

Apollo is trading above its key moving averages, including about 4.9% above the 20-day SMA ($125.09) and 14.3% above the 50-day SMA ($114.84), which keeps the intermediate trend constructive.

At the same time, it's only about 0.9% above the 200-day SMA ($130.04), so this area can act like a "make-or-break" zone where breakouts can fail if follow-through buying doesn't show up.

Momentum is improving: MACD is above its signal line and the histogram is positive, which typically suggests downside pressure is easing versus the prior downswing.

That matters here because it supports the idea that pullbacks may be more "reset" than "reversal" unless price starts losing key trend levels again.

The longer-term backdrop is still mixed because the 50-day SMA remains below the 200-day SMA (a death cross that occurred in February), even though the 20-day SMA is now above the 50-day SMA (a bullish crossover).

Zooming out, the stock is still down 8.61% over the last 12 months, and the March swing low remains an important reference point for where buyers last defended the trend.

  • Key Resistance: $140.00 — a round-number area where rebounds can stall after a run back above the 200-day trend line
  • Key Support: $120.00 — a nearby round-number zone that sits closer to the 20-day/100-day area and can attract dip-buyers if momentum cools

Price Action: Apollo Global Management shares were down 1.40% at $131.34 and Emerald Holding shares were up 9.63% at $5.01 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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