The Performance of Mergers and Acquisitions in Emerging Capital Markets: New Evidence

Abstract

Researchers have long tried to define the impact of corporate mergers and acquisitions on company performance. We contribute to the existing literature by examining the influence of M&A deals on company value in the short-run using the event study method and in the long-run based on economic profit concept. Examining a sample of 80 deals initiated by companies from emerging capital markets over 2002-2009, we find that M&As are value-destroying deals for the combined firms. Results from the long-run analysis prove the negative industry-adjusted differences between post-acquisition and pre-acquisition performance measures. The difference is equal to a significant -3.3% for the EBITDA/Sales ratio. The Economic Profit approach demonstrates a similar result. Our findings from the short-run analysis indicate that the announcements of M&A deals generate significant high returns for target shareholders, while the returns to bidder shareholders are not significant. We also analyze the determinants of M&A performance, such as method of payment, business similarity, and the target’s country.