Any defensive financial tactic used by a company to fend off a hostile corporate takeover by another. Sensing that Gangrenous Inc. was looking to acquire their company to exploit its valuable intellectual property, the board of directors passed a number of shark repellents during their AGM to keep the hostile company at bay.
shark repellent
n. something that prevents corporate takeovers. (Securities markets.) Acme Systems tried again to get its board to approve a shark repellent to keep the Widget cartel from acquiring it.