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Eat or Be Eaten: A Theory of Mergers and Merger Waves

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Author Info
Gary Gorton
Matthias Kahl
Richard Rosen
Abstract

In this paper, we present a model of defensive mergers and merger waves. We argue that mergers and merger waves can occur when managers prefer that their firms remain independent rather than be acquired. We assume that managers can reduce their chance of being acquired by acquiring another firm and hence increasing the size of their own firm. We show that if managers value private benefits of control sufficiently, they may engage in unprofitable defensive acquisitions. A technological or regulatory change that makes acquisitions profitable in some future states of the world can induce a preemptive wave of unprofitable, defensive acquisitions. The timing of mergers, the identity of acquirers and targets, and the profitability of acquisitions depend on the size of the private benefits of control, managerial equity ownership, the likelihood of a regime shift that makes some mergers profitable, and the distribution of firm sizes within an industry.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 11364.

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Date of creation: May 2005
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11364

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G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance

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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Lars Calmfors & Giancarlo Corsetti & Seppo Honkapohja & Gilles Saint-Paul & Hans-Werner Sinn & John Kay & Jan-Egbert Sturm & Xavier Vives, 2006. "Chapter 5: Mergers and Competition Policy in Europe," EEAG Report on the European Economy, CESifo Group Munich, vol. 0, pages 101-116, 03. [Downloadable!]
  2. Lars Calmfors & Giancarlo Corsetti & Seppo Honkapohja & John Kay & Gilles Saint-Paul & Hans-Werner Sinn & Jan-Egbert Sturm & Xavier Vives, 2006. "EEAG European Economic Advisory Group at CESifo: Report on the European Economy 2006," EEAG Report on the European Economy, CESifo Group Munich, vol. 0, pages 1-120, 03. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Margsiri, Worawat & Melloy, Antonio S. & Ruckesz, Martin E., 2008. "A Dynamic Analysis of Growth via Acquisition," CEI Working Paper Series 2008-8, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University. [Downloadable!]
  4. Steven Brakman & Harry Garretsen & Charles van Marrewijk, 2007. "Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions: On Revealed Comparative Advantage And Merger Waves," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-013/2, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Frantzeskakis, Kyriakos & Ueda, Masako, 2007. "A Dynamic Equilibrium Model of Firm's Life Cycle and Mergers as Efficient Reallocation," CEPR Discussion Papers 6079, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Damiani, Mirella & Pompei, Fabrizio, 2008. "Mergers, acquisitions and technological regimes: the European experience over the period 2002- 2005," MPRA Paper 8226, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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