How Do Chinese Firms Perform Before and After Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions?

To evaluate the financial performance of Chinese cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As), this research examined 86 cross-border M&As from 2007 to 2012, which included the 5 years before and the 5 years after the merger dates. Eighty-one domestic M&As were also chosen as the control group to compare the performances of cross-border and domestic M&As. The difference in difference (DID) results revealed that, in general, the cross-border M&As did not improve the firms’ financial performances and that the domestic M&As performed better. The feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) regression results indicated that the CNY exchange rate appreciation, infrastructure，labor costs, formal institutional distances, and technological levels in the host countries are significantly related to post-merger performances over the long run, and firms that acquired resource-oriented foreign firms had better long-term financial performances; however, state-owned firms were more likely to have worse profitability after the cross-border M&As, and host countries located in “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) regions showed poorer post-merger performances. The study results could be of valuable assistance to Chinese firms considering future cross-border M&As.