Getty Images Rumored To Be In Merger Talks With Shutterstock: Retail Sees Potential Combination As ‘Win-Win’ Proposition
By Stocktwits Inc | First Published Jan 6, 2025, 9:17 AM ISTGetty Images stock fell 59% in 2024, grossly underperforming the market, while Shutterstock declined about 36%.
Shares of Seattle, Washington-based creative and editorial visual content solutions provider Getty Images Holdings, Inc. ($GETY) and its New York-based rival Shutterstock, Inc. ($SSTK) rallied sharply in the final hour of Friday’s session amid rumors of a potential combination.
Just ahead of Friday’s close, a Bloomberg report said Getty Images is contemplating a merger with Shutterstock, with the former weighing in options to structure the deal. Citing people familiar with the matter, the report said talks are ongoing and that there is a possibility that the deal may not go ahead.
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According to the report, the merger could invite antitrust scrutiny while it also underlines corporations' confidence about a more ‘’permissive’’ environment for deal-making under the incoming administration of Donald Trump.
The rumored move comes amid increased demand for pictures, videos, and other media, even as artificial intelligence upends the content creation business and cell phone cameras reduce the value of stock photography.
Getty Images was co-founded by Mark Getty of the wealthy Getty family. He serves as chairman of the company, and he is also a director of Getty Investments, which holds 43% of Getty Images’ outstanding shares.
While Getty Images went public through a Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle (SPAC) merger in 2021, Shutterstock publicly listed its shares in 2012.
Getty Images stock fell 59% in 2024, grossly underperforming the market, while Shutterstock declined about 36%.
The deal rumor hasn’t moved the retail crowd. On Stocktwits, sentiment toward Getty stayed ‘neutral’ (54/100) and message volume is ‘normal.’
Some retailers were in favor of the merger, given Getty Image's steep declines in 2024. Another said Street chatter hinted at a $10 per share buyout price for Getty.
A retailer, who messaged on the Shutterstock stock stream said buying Getty Images under $20 a share is a steal for Shutterstock.
Following the deal speculation, Getty stock jumped 13.27% to close Friday’s session at $2.39, although off the intraday high of $2.79. Shutterstock added 7.88% at Friday’s close, ending the session at $31.47.
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