Pep Boys' stock plunges 22% following collapse of buyout deal

By Andrew Tangel

May 30, 2012 12 AM PT

Pep Boys’ stock plunged 22% following the collapse of a buyout deal with a Los Angeles-based private equity firm.

The Philadelphia-based automotive retail and repair chain on Tuesday announced the termination of its planned $1.1-billion buyout by The Gores Group.

Pep Boys, which has 130 shops in California, said Gores would pay the company a $50-million termination fee and reimburse it for expenses related to the aborted merger, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gores agreed to buy Pep Boys in January and pay $15 a share. The private-equity firm appeared to get cold feet earlier this month after Pep Boys announced disappointing first-quarter earnings.

Pep Boys’ stock fell $2.41 a share, or 22%, to $8.68 in early trading on Wall Street.

Facebook tanks to post-IPO low below $30 as other stocks rise

New requirements for long-term unemployment benefits to kick in