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Hostile Takeovers as Corporate Governance? Evidence from the 1980s

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  • Don Goldstein

Abstract

The notion that hostile takeovers must play a key role in corporate governance, by bringing purportedly efficient financial market pressures to bear on poorly performing managers, often underlies proposals for financial sector reform. This paper tests the most influential explanation of takeovers, the free cash flow theory of debt-financed restructuring, against a comprehensive sample of large U.S. hostile takeovers from the years 1978-89. The tests provide little support for the free cash flow hypothesis: that over-retention of corporate resources, relative to investment opportunities, would distinguish targets from other companies. Firms with less debt are more likely to have been taken over. But this and closely related evidence is more consistent with the idea that the takeover and credit markets underwent a period of speculative overheating. Thus the role played by hostile takeovers in the corporate restructuring of the 1980s does not suggest that facilitating such activity should be a goal of present day financial reforms, in Europe or elsewhere

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  • Don Goldstein, 2000. "Hostile Takeovers as Corporate Governance? Evidence from the 1980s," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 381-402.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:revpoe:v:12:y:2000:i:4:p:381-402
    DOI: 10.1080/09538250050175091
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Fabel, Oliver & Kolmar, Martin, 2002. "Management takeover battles and the role of the golden handshake," Discussion Papers, Series I 319, University of Konstanz, Department of Economics.
    3. Renneboog, L.D.R. & Simons, T. & Wright, M., 2005. "Leveraged Public to Private Transactions in the UK," Other publications TiSEM 6a789f4d-6a20-4bb5-bdd9-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Renneboog, Luc & Simons, Tomas & Wright, Mike, 2007. "Why do public firms go private in the UK? The impact of private equity investors, incentive realignment and undervaluation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 591-628, September.
    5. Martynova, M., 2006. "The market for corporate control and corporate governance regulation in Europe," Other publications TiSEM 8651e281-4914-41f2-ac14-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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