Analyzing Mergers under Asymmetric Information: A Simple Reduced-Form Approach

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Analyzing Mergers under Asymmetric Information: A Simple Reduced-Form Approach

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Thomas Borek ()
Stefan Bühler ()
Armin Schmutzler ()

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Abstract

This paper provides a simple reduced-form framework for analyzing merger decisions in the presence of asymmetric information about firm types, building on Shapiro's (1986) oligopoly model with asymmetric information about marginal costs. We employ this framework to examine what types of firms are likely to be involved in mergers. While we give sufficient conditions under which only low-type firms merge, as a lemons rationale would suggest, we also argue that these conditions will often be violated in practice. Finally, our analysis shows how signaling considerations affect merger decisions.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen in its series University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2008 with number 2008-15.

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Length: 31 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:usg:dp2008:2008-15

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information
L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Boundaries of Public and Private Enterprise; Privatization; Contracting Out

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-ALL-2008-09-13 (All new papers)
NEP-BEC-2008-09-13 (Business Economics)
NEP-COM-2008-09-13 (Industrial Competition)
NEP-CTA-2008-09-13 (Contract Theory & Applications)
NEP-MIC-2008-09-13 (Microeconomics)

References listed on IDEAS
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Gregor Andrade & Mark Mitchell & Erik Stafford, 2001. "New Evidence and Perspectives on Mergers," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 103-120, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Barros, Pedro Pita, 1998. "Endogenous mergers and size asymmetry of merger participants," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 113-119, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Dennis Gaertner & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Merger Negotiations and Ex-Post Regret," Working Papers 0607, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Dec 2007. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Gärtner, Dennis & Schmutzler, Armin, 2006. "Merger Negotiations and Ex-Post Regret," CEPR Discussion Papers 5911, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Gärtner, Dennis L. & Schmutzler, Armin, 2009. "Merger negotiations and ex-post regret," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 144(4), pages 1636-1664, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Salant, Stephen W & Switzer, Sheldon & Reynolds, Robert J, 1983. "Losses from Horizontal Merger: The Effects of an Exogenous Change in Industry Structure on Cournot-Nash Equilibrium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 98(2), pages 185-99, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Hviid, Morten & Prendergast, Canice, 1993. "Merger Failure and Merger Profitability," Journal of Industrial Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(4), pages 371-86, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Hansen, Robert G, 1985. "Auctions with Contingent Payments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(4), pages 862-65, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Peter M. DeMarzo & Ilan Kremer & Andrzej Skrzypacz, 2004. "Bidding With Securities: Auctions and Security Design," NBER Working Papers 10891, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Andrzej Skrzypacz & Peter M. DeMarzo & Ilan Kremer, 2004. "Bidding with Securities: Auctions and Security Design," Econometric Society 2004 North American Winter Meetings 637, Econometric Society.
- Andrzej Skrzypacz & Peter M. DeMarzo & Ilan Kremer, 2004. "Bidding with Securities: Auctions and Security Design," Econometric Society 2004 North American Winter Meetings 641, Econometric Society.
- Peter M. DeMarzo & Ilan Kremer & Andrzej Skrzypacz, 2005. "Bidding with Securities: Auctions and Security Design," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(4), pages 936-959, September. [Downloadable!]
repec:bep:theadv:v:5:y:2005:i:1:p:1164-1164 is not listed on IDEAS
James S. Ang & Yingmei Cheng, 2006. "Direct Evidence On The Market-Driven Acquisition Theory," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association and Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 29(2), pages 199-216. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Shapiro, Carl, 1986. "Exchange of Cost Information in Oligopoly," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(3), pages 433-46, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Farrell, Joseph & Shapiro, Carl, 1990. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 107-26, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Joseph Farrell and Carl Shapiro., 1988. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," Economics Working Papers 8880, University of California at Berkeley.
- Farrell, J. & Shapiro, C., 1989. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," Papers e-89-3, Stanford - Hoover Institution.
- Farrell, J. & Shapiro, C., 1988. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," Papers 17, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Discussion Paper.
Hansen, Robert G, 1987. "A Theory for the Choice of Exchange Medium in Mergers and Acquisitions," Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60(1), pages 75-95, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)

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