Publication Type

Conference Paper

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

8-2011

Abstract

Overvaluation may motivate a firm to use its stock to acquire a target whose stock is not as overpriced (Shleifer and Vishny (2003)). Though hypothetically desirable, these acquisitions in practice create little, if any, value for acquirer shareholders. Two factors often impede value creation: payment of a large premium to the target and lack of economic synergies in the acquisition. We find that overvaluationdriven stock acquirers suffer worse operating performance and lower long-run stock returns than control firms that are in the same industry, similarly overvalued at the same time, have similar size and Tobin’s q, but have not pursued an acquisition. Our findings suggest that stock overvaluation increases agency costs and the resulting actions potentially benefit managers more than shareholders (Jensen (2005)).

Keywords

Mergers and acquisitions, Overvaluation, Operating performance, Agency costs, CEO compensation

Discipline

Corporate Finance | Finance and Financial Management

Research Areas

Finance

Publication

European Finance Association Meeting, 17-20 August 2011

City or Country

Stockholm, Sweden

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/efa2011/files/CFE_10_1.pdf

Share

COinS