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Synergy disclosures in mergers and acquisitions

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  • Dutordoir, Marie
  • Roosenboom, Peter
  • Vasconcelos, Manuel

Abstract

We examine bidding firms' motives for disclosing a synergy forecast when announcing a merger or acquisition. Our sample consists of 1990 M&A deals, of which 345 announce synergy estimates. Our results suggest that synergy disclosures serve to obtain a more favorable market reception for deals that would otherwise induce highly negative bidder announcement returns. After controlling for the endogeneity of the disclosure decision, synergy forecast disclosures result in approximately 5% higher bidder stock returns. The main deterrents of disclosing synergy values are lack of precise information on synergy values available to bidding firm management, and shareholder litigation risk. Bidders do not seem to use synergy disclosures to strategically influence takeover premiums or competition for the target.

Suggested Citation

  • Dutordoir, Marie & Roosenboom, Peter & Vasconcelos, Manuel, 2014. "Synergy disclosures in mergers and acquisitions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 88-100.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:31:y:2014:i:c:p:88-100
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2013.09.005
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    2. Ly, Kim Cuong & Liu, Hong & Opong, Kwaku, 2017. "Who acquires whom among stand-alone commercial banks and bank holding company affiliates?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 144-158.
    3. Robert Fraunhoffer & Ho Young Kim & Dirk Schiereck, 2018. "Value Creation in M&A Transactions, Conference Calls, and Shareholder Protection," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-21, January.
    4. George Marian AEVOAE, 2018. "How Can We Create Value From Enterprise Concentrations? A Meta-Analysis Of The Scientific Literature On M&As In The European Union," EURINT, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 5, pages 63-87.
    5. Rexford Attah‐Boakye & Yilmaz Guney & Elvis Hernandez‐Perdomo & Johnathan Mun, 2021. "Why do some merger and acquisitions deals fail? A global perspective," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4734-4776, July.
    6. Agha, Mahmoud & Hossain, Md Mosharraf, 2022. "Are board monitoring and CEO incentives substitutes for each other? Evidence from Australian market reaction to acquisition announcements," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Mittal, Amit & Garg, Ajay Kumar, 2017. "Private information implications for acquirers and targets in horizontal mergers," MPRA Paper 85355, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Amel-Zadeh, Amir & Meeks, Geoff, 2019. "Bidder earnings forecasts in mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 373-392.
    9. Godfred Amewu & Imhotep Paul Alagidede, 2021. "Mergers, executive compensation and firm performance: The case of Africa," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 407-436, March.
    10. Ismail, Ahmad & Mavis, Christos P., 2022. "A new method for measuring CEO overconfidence: Evidence from acquisitions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Ismail, Ahmad & Khalil, Samer & Safieddine, Assem & Titman, Sheridan, 2019. "Smart investments by smart money: Evidence from acquirers' projected synergies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 343-363.
    12. Mittal, Amit & Garg, Ajay Kumar, 2017. "Why do acquirers prefer M&A? Evidence from Banks in India," MPRA Paper 85354, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Hossain, Md Miran & Javakhadze, David, 2020. "Corporate media connections and merger outcomes," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    14. Khurshid Ali & Zeeshan Khan & Numan Khan & Abdul-Hamid Ibrahim Alsubaie & Fazal Subhan & Moumen Kanadil, 2016. "Performance Evaluation of UK Acquiring Companies in the Pre and Post-Acquisitions Periods," Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 3(2), pages 130-138.
    15. Mirosław Wasilewski & Serhiy Zabolotnyy & Dmytro Osiichuk, 2021. "Characteristics and Shareholder Wealth Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions Involving European Renewable Energy Companies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-20, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mergers and acquisitions; Synergies; Voluntary disclosure; Information asymmetry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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