An Empirical Analysis of the Effects of the Threat of Takeover on UK Company Performance

This paper undertakes an empirical analysis of the effects of the threat of takeover on company performance, based on a panel of 643 nonfinancial quoted UK companies over the period 1989-96. Our measure of the intensity of the threat of takeover is the predicted probability of takeover estimated recursively from a takeover likelihood model. This measure is used as an explanatory variable in models of total factor productivity, investment and dividends. We find that takeover risk has a positive and significant effect on subsequent productivity, a negative and significant effect on investment, and a positive but insignificant effect on current dividend payout. The probability of hostile takeover has little effect on productivity, but has a negative and significant effect investment with a lag of two years, and a strongly positive effect on dividend payout. The probability of friendly takeover has similar effects to the aggregate takeover risk. These results are partially consistent with both a disciplinary view of takeovers and with a short-termism view.