IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/empfin/v39y2016ipap69-92.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Target signaling with material adverse change clauses in merger agreements

Author

Listed:
  • Macias, Antonio J.
  • Moeller, Thomas

Abstract

Material Adverse Change (MAC) clauses play key roles in essentially all merger negotiations. Fewer exclusions in MAC clauses imply broader abandonment options for acquirers. We study the motivation for different scopes of acquirers’ abandonment options. In our comprehensive hand-collected sample, broader firm-specific abandonment options are associated with higher target announcement returns and higher combined acquirer and target announcement gains, lower probabilities of MAC occurrences, and lower conditional completion rates when MACs occur. They are also more prevalent in higher-quality firms with larger information asymmetries. Overall, the results indicate that targets’ credibly signaling their higher values or greater synergies is one motivation for broader abandonment options for acquirers.

Suggested Citation

  • Macias, Antonio J. & Moeller, Thomas, 2016. "Target signaling with material adverse change clauses in merger agreements," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(PA), pages 69-92.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:empfin:v:39:y:2016:i:pa:p:69-92
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jempfin.2016.09.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927539816301141
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jempfin.2016.09.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isil Erel & Yeejin Jang & Michael S. Weisbach, 2015. "Do Acquisitions Relieve Target Firms’ Financial Constraints?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(1), pages 289-328, February.
    2. Boone, Audra L. & Harold Mulherin, J., 2008. "Do auctions induce a winner's curse? New evidence from the corporate takeover market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Lily Hua Fang, 2005. "Investment Bank Reputation and the Price and Quality of Underwriting Services," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(6), pages 2729-2761, December.
    4. Ronald J. Gilson & Alan Schwartz, 2005. "Understanding MACs: Moral Hazard in Acquisitions," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 330-358, October.
    5. Cain, Matthew D. & Denis, David J. & Denis, Diane K., 2011. "Earnouts: A study of financial contracting in acquisition agreements," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 151-170, February.
    6. Graham K. Brown & Thanos Mergoupis, 2011. "Treatment interactions with nonexperimental data in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(4), pages 545-555, December.
    7. Nicolae Garleanu & Jeffrey Zwiebel, 2009. "Design and Renegotiation of Debt Covenants," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(2), pages 749-781, February.
    8. Barclay, Michael J & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1995. "The Maturity Structure of Corporate Debt," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(2), pages 609-631, June.
    9. Christopher F Baum, 2006. "An Introduction to Modern Econometrics using Stata," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, number imeus, March.
    10. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    11. Micah S. Officer & Annette B. Poulsen & Mike Stegemoller, 2009. "Target-firm information asymmetry and acquirer returns," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 13(3), pages 467-493.
    12. Denis, David J. & Macias, Antonio J., 2013. "Material Adverse Change Clauses and Acquisition Dynamics," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(3), pages 819-847, June.
    13. Rhodes-Kropf, Matthew & Robinson, David T. & Viswanathan, S., 2005. "Valuation waves and merger activity: The empirical evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 561-603, September.
    14. Jose Manuel Campa & Simi Kedia, 2002. "Explaining the Diversification Discount," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1731-1762, August.
    15. Hansen, Robert G, 1987. "A Theory for the Choice of Exchange Medium in Mergers and Acquisitions," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60(1), pages 75-95, January.
    16. Cain, Matthew D. & Denis, David J. & Denis, Diane K., 2011. "Earnouts: A study of financial contracting in acquisition agreements," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 151-170.
    17. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    18. Wei Jiang & Kai Li & Wei Wang, 2012. "Hedge Funds and Chapter 11," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(2), pages 513-560, April.
    19. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    20. Stewart C. Myers & Nicholas S. Majluf, 1984. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions When Firms Have InformationThat Investors Do Not Have," NBER Working Papers 1396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Kathryn E. Spier, 1992. "Incomplete Contracts and Signalling," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 23(3), pages 432-443, Autumn.
    22. Adair Morse & Vikram Nanda & Amit Seru, 2011. "Are Incentive Contracts Rigged by Powerful CEOs?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1779-1821, October.
    23. Roberts, Michael R. & Sufi, Amir, 2009. "Renegotiation of financial contracts: Evidence from private credit agreements," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 159-184, August.
    24. Barry, Christopher B. & Brown, Stephen J., 1984. "Differential information and the small firm effect," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 283-294, June.
    25. Aghion, Philippe & Hermalin, Benjamin, 1990. "Legal Restrictions on Private Contracts Can Enhance Efficiency," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(2), pages 381-409, Fall.
    26. Bates, Thomas W. & Lemmon, Michael L. & Linck, James S., 2006. "Shareholder wealth effects and bid negotiation in freeze-out deals: Are minority shareholders left out in the cold?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(3), pages 681-708, September.
    27. Moeller, Sara B. & Schlingemann, Frederik P. & Stulz, Rene M., 2004. "Firm size and the gains from acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 201-228, August.
    28. Wei-Ling Song, 2004. "Competition and Coalition among Underwriters: The Decision to Join a Syndicate," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 59(5), pages 2421-2444, October.
    29. Aghion, Philippe & Hermalin, Benjamin, 1990. "Why Legal Restrictions on Private Contracts Can Enhance Efficiency," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt4j76f10g, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    30. Andrey Golubov & Dimitris Petmezas & Nickolaos G. Travlos, 2012. "When It Pays to Pay Your Investment Banker: New Evidence on the Role of Financial Advisors in M&As," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(1), pages 271-312, February.
    31. Micah S. Officer, 2004. "Collars and Renegotiation in Mergers and Acquisitions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 59(6), pages 2719-2743, December.
    32. Albert Choi & George Triantis, 2008. "Completing Contracts in the Shadow of Costly Verification," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(2), pages 503-534, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Malmendier, Ulrike M. & Karsten, Christel & Sautner, Zacharias, 2020. "Lawyer Expertise and Contract Design – Evidence from M&A Negotiations," CEPR Discussion Papers 14936, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Carol L. Cain & Gary M. Fleischman & Antonio J. Macias & Juan Manuel Sanchez, 2021. "Ethics, Adverse Selection, Target Method of Sale Strategies, and Akerlof’s “Lemons†Problem," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(3), pages 1-1, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrey Golubov & Dimitris Petmezas & Nickolaos G. Travlos, 2013. "Empirical mergers and acquisitions research: a review of methods, evidence and managerial implications," Chapters, in: Adrian R. Bell & Chris Brooks & Marcel Prokopczuk (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Empirical Finance, chapter 12, pages 287-313, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Leonidas G. Barbopoulos & Jo Danbolt, 2021. "The real effects of earnout contracts in M&As," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 44(3), pages 607-639, September.
    3. Barbopoulos, Leonidas & Sudarsanam, Sudi, 2012. "Determinants of earnout as acquisition payment currency and bidder’s value gains," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 678-694.
    4. Bhagat, Sanjai & Klasa, Sandy & Litov, Lubomir P., 2014. "The Use of Escrow Contracts in Acquisition Agreements," Working Papers 13-19, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    5. Gao, Ning & Hua, Chen & Khurshed, Arif, 2021. "Loan price in mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    6. Bates, Thomas W. & Neyland, Jordan B. & Wang, Yolanda Yulong, 2018. "Financing acquisitions with earnouts," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 374-395.
    7. Leledakis, George & Mamatzakis, Emmanuel & Pirgiotakis, Manos & Travlos, Nikolaos, 2017. "What twenty years of regulations have to say about M&As of U.S. banks?," MPRA Paper 82977, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Malmendier, Ulrike M. & Karsten, Christel & Sautner, Zacharias, 2020. "Lawyer Expertise and Contract Design – Evidence from M&A Negotiations," CEPR Discussion Papers 14936, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Aktas, Nihat & Cousin, Jean-Gabriel & Ozdakak, Ali & Zhang, Junyao, 2016. "Industry IPOs, growth opportunities, and private target acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 193-209.
    10. Tingjun Liu & Dan Bernhardt, 2021. "Rent Extraction with Securities Plus Cash," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1869-1912, August.
    11. Chang, Xin & Shekhar, Chander & Tam, Lewis H.K. & Yao, Jiaquan, 2016. "The information role of advisors in mergers and acquisitions: Evidence from acquirers hiring targets’ ex-advisors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 247-264.
    12. Vermaelen, Theo & Xu, Moqi, 2014. "Acquisition finance and market timing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 73-91.
    13. Agliardi, Elettra & Amel-Zadeh, Amir & Koussis, Nicos, 2016. "Leverage changes and growth options in mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 37-58.
    14. Yang, Junhong & Guariglia, Alessandra & Guo, Jie (Michael), 2019. "To what extent does corporate liquidity affect M&A decisions, method of payment and performance? Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 128-152.
    15. Feito-Ruiz, Isabel & Menéndez-Requejo, Susana, 2011. "Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions in different legal environments," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 169-187, September.
    16. Gao, Ning, 2011. "The adverse selection effect of corporate cash reserve: Evidence from acquisitions solely financed by stock," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 789-808, September.
    17. Qingzhong Ma, 2013. "Investment banks advising takeover targets," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 37(3), pages 339-374, July.
    18. Cornett, Marcia Millon & Tanyeri, Basak & Tehranian, Hassan, 2011. "The effect of merger anticipation on bidder and target firm announcement period returns," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 595-611, June.
    19. Kose John & Ravi S. Mateti & Zhaoyun Shangguan & Gopala Vasudevan, 2013. "Does overvaluation of bidder stock drive acquisitions? The case of public and private targets," International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(1/2), pages 188-204.
    20. N. Chidambaran & Kose John & Zhaoyun Shangguan & Gopala Vasudevan, 2010. "Hot and cold merger markets," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 327-349, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mergers; Acquisitions; Signaling; Material adverse change clauses; D86; G14; G32; G34;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:empfin:v:39:y:2016:i:pa:p:69-92. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jempfin .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.