IS THERE A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MERGER AND ACQUISITION AND NON-MERGER AND ACQUISITION FDI? FIRM-LEVEL EVIDENCE FROM JAPANESE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT INTO UNITED STATES

Abstract

Japanese firms undertake multiple foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the United States. When Japanese firms undertake merger and acquisition (M&A) FDI, they acquire indivisible assets in the United States. To utilize their acquired assets fully, these firms may undertake additional non-M&A FDI. This implies a positive association between the number of M&As and the number of non-M&A FDIs because they may be complements. In contrast, the literature on the choice of modes of FDI examines the tradeoff between M&A and non-M&A FDI. This may suggest a negative association between the number of M&As and non-M&A FDIs because they may be substitutes. The authors examine whether the number of M&As and non-M&A FDIs are positively associated or not by proposing an econometric model that tests the contemporaneous association and the lagged complementary effect between M&A and non-M&A FDI. Using firm-level data, the authors find evidence that M&A and non-M&A FDI of Japanese firms in the United States are positively associated. Particularly, the findings indicate that given all other things equal, a one unit increase in the number of the firm's M&A FDI (non-M&A) projects in a given year will increase the firm's average non-M&A (M&A) FDI by 28.1% (15.8%) the following year.