This paper examines the association between female director representation on corporate boards and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Using acquisition bids initiated by the S&P 1500 firms during 1997-2009, we find that each ten-percent representation of female directors on a corporate board is...

We investigate investor reactions to merger and acquisition rumors. Employing a large and comprehensive sample of acquisition rumors, we find that the rumor target firms experience average cumulative abnormal returns of 4.78% over the three days around the rumor, and abnormal returns of -4.48%...

Adjustment of behavior to maintain risk, known as risk homeostasis, has previously been studied in a variety of psychological, health, social and economic contexts. This paper examines the evidence for risk homeostasis in corporate financial decisions involving mergers and acquisitions (M&As)....

We study how common ownership among potential acquirers influences the firm selling process. We find that, when potential acquirers share a common owner, the target firm is more likely to be sold through auction rather than negotiation with a single acquirer. The presence of common owner does...

It is commonly believed that women are more likely to seek advice than men; for example, on aspects of health or asking for directions when lost. This paper investigates whether women’s relatively greater propensity for advice seeking extends to important business decisions, specifically those...

Does director gender influence CEO empire building? Does it affect the bid premium paid for target firms? Less overconfident female directors less overestimate merger gains. As a result, firms with female directors are less likely to make acquisitions and if they do, pay lower bid premia. Using...

We provide evidence that managers and controlling shareholders time management buyouts (MBOs) and freezeout transactions to take advantage of industry-wide undervaluation. Portfolios of industry peers of MBO and freezeout targets show significant alphas of around 1% per month over the 12-month...