We develop and empirically test a trade-off model for the analysis of leverage changes in mergers and acquisitions. This study extends prior findings of a post-merger increase in leverage for the acquiring firm by linking this leverage increase to merging firms that are less correlated, create...

The negative relation between the market-to-book ratio and leverage ratio is one of the most widely documented empirical regularities in the capital structure literature. Most related studies take this negative relation as given and debate about its economic interpretation. We show that firms...

Debt-ridden corporate growth and increased vulnerability was one of the causes of the 1997 financial crisis in Korea. Introduction of outside director system has been the core part of the corporate reforms following the crisis. Our estimation using instruments obtained from a natural experiment...

This paper is concerned with the profitable external growth and proposes an empirical model outlining the major determinants of its success. The results of analysis of the unique sample of strategic growth acquisitions completed from 2000 to 2010 suggest that the success of transaction is...

This paper examines how deviation from firms' target leverage influences their decisions on undertaking foreign acquisitions. Using a sample of 5,746 completed bids by UK acquirers from 1987 to 2012, we observe that over-deviated firms are more likely to acquire foreign targets. Consistent with...

As a result of increased information production and aggregation, acquiring companies may make merger decisions based on valuable information they extract from public markets. This paper examines acquisitions by target status and suggests a novel source of information for industry firms – the...

I develop a model of mergers in which M&A deals are used to reallocate investment opportunities. In equilibrium, acquirers lack internal growth options and seek out projects from targets in the M&A market. The model is able to reconcile many features of the merger data that I document, including...

This paper provides a comprehensive study of deal characteristics and participants’ involvement in leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and their impact on target firms’ performance. Using a sample of 501 U.S. LBOs completed between 1986 and 2011, I find that better post-buyout operating performance are...

This paper provides an exhaustive literature review of the motives for public-to-private LBO transactions. First, the paper develops the theoretical framework for the potential sources of value creation from going private: a distinction is made between the reduction in shareholder-related agency...

This paper investigates the relationship between leverage and returns in private equity buyout transactions. In contrast to the predictions of traditional capital structure theory, we find that transactions financed with large amounts of debt are associated higher transaction prices and lower...