This article discusses the merging process of three Colombian financial institutions (i.e. Bancolombia, Conavi and Corfinsura) with regard to the generation of value to the shareholders involved in this transaction based on a event studies methodology. The purpose of this methodology is to quantify the impact of an event (such as announcing a merger) on the shareholders’ wealth and to establish the potential winners or losers in the process. Parametric and non–parametric tests revealed that the shareholders of Corfinsura were the ones who most profited from the merger because they were able not only to exchange their stock for the more liquid stock of the merging institution (i.e. Bancolombia), but also to take early possession of the value associated with the merger and benefits from all the potential operating and financial synergies.