Firm Visibility and Acquisition Likelihood : Evidence from Seeking Alpha Coverage

This study investigates whether social media coverage influences a firm’s likelihood of being acquired. Specifically, we hypothesize that coverage of a firm on the Seeking Alpha platform raises its visibility to potential acquirers and M&A advisers (i.e., investment banks), increasing the likelihood of becoming a target. Employing a novel setting in which Seeking Alpha contributors were incentivized to write articles about small firms, which historically had received relatively little coverage, we find evidence consistent with our prediction. Moreover, the increased coverage leads to deals between acquirers and targets that are 1) more geographically distant from each other, and 2) less likely to be in the same industry, consistent with a firm visibility channel. We validate our inference by showing such coverage leads to increased financial statement downloads by potential acquirers and investment banks. Overall, our findings point to social media serving an important role in elevating firms’ market visibility and enhancing managers’ awareness of potential investment opportunities