Abstract
This paper provides evidence on the wealth effect in the event of the withdrawal of a merger or acquisition, and the impact of termination fee provisions on acquirer withdrawal returns. I report a significant negative correlation between acquirer withdrawal returns and announcement returns, consistent with the theory of managerial learning in M&As. Target firms reap net gains in deal withdrawals, showing evidence of a permanent revaluation of targets even if the deals fail. I also find that acquirer termination fee provisions are positively associated with acquirer withdrawal returns, suggesting that such provisions may play a disciplinary role in the withdrawal decision-making and protect acquirer shareholders’ interests in deal withdrawals. Furthermore, my results also show that target termination fee provisions are negatively associated with acquirer withdrawal returns, which supports the efficiency hypothesis.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
