What is meant by "DJ Arbitrage Spreads On Pending Mergers & Acquisitions"?
Answers: To build on Kevin's answer, the time value of the spread can be used to guage the relative certainty or lack of certainty the market sees in the merger/acquisition being consumated. A large spread means there is still risk. A narrow spread usually means it's a safe bet.
Arbitrage spread in this case is the difference in price between the market value of a stock and the pending sale of the company.
For example stock XXX is trading at $45 a share, Company YYY announces it will buy them for $50 a share. The spread is 5, and the spread will approach 0 as the deal completes.
Who controls how much the dollar is worth?
Answers: there's not like one person who sits in an office and is like "gee lets ruin the dollar". It's based upon, how many are printed, our gross domestic product, our debt, the worth of other country's money, etc.
Market Forces. This is an Economics question, but way too broad to give an answer in detail.
I sold stock I own through a broker. Um...now what? I mean how do I get my money?
Answers: You should receive either a check in the mail or a transfer of funds into your bank account.
What arrangement have you made with your broker?
Go get it. If its a small amount by the time he gets raking you over the coals , maybe you owe him.