The Nancy Reagan defense is a tactic in corporate finance used to counter a takeover or merger bidder who has made a formal bid to shareholders to buy their shares. When the board of directors of the target company meets to consider the bid, they "just say no."
For example, in a discussion of a takeover of the Walt Disney Company by Comcast, analyst Andy Kessler on Wall Street Week stated "there are two great Wall Street defenses. One is the Nancy Reagan defense and the other is the Pac-Man defense, right? And the Nancy Reagan defense is, just say no." The term refers to a catch-phrase coined by former United States First Lady Nancy Reagan advocating abstinence from recreational drug use.
Famous quotes containing the words nancy reagan, nancy, reagan and/or defense:
“The Sixties, of course, was the worst time in the world to try and bring up a child. They were exposed to all these crazy things going on.”
—Nancy Reagan (b. 1923)
“Miss Nancy Ellicott smoked
And danced all the modern dances;
And her aunts were not quite sure how they felt about it,
But they knew that it was modern.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“No matter what time it is, wake me, even if it’s in the middle of a Cabinet meeting.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)
“For there is no defense for a man who, in the excess of his wealth, has kicked the great altar of Justice out of sight.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)