Santander Consumer USA (SC) is soaring around 13% today on news that parent company Banco Santander may be making plans to reabsorb the U.S. lending unit it spun out back in January, causing traders to scoop up shares. The rumor has yet to be confirmed, but even if it’s true, the acquisition ceiling looks awfully close at current levels. SC went public at $24 a share, so Banco Santander is unlikely to pay much more to essentially admit that it never wanted to go through with the spinout in the first place.
Shares look close to fair value after today’s rally, and the price pop has given us a quick double-digit win in just three weeks. Since the deal buzz could start to fade, let’s lock in the gains now and sell SC. I have my eye on several new opportunities that I hope to share with you soon.