We examine the value effect of working capital management (WCM) for a large sample of US firms between 1982-2011. Our results indicate (i) the existence of an optimal level of working capital policy; and (ii) firms that converge to that optimal level (either by increasing or decreasing their...

We examine the causal effects of terrorism on inventor productivity and mobility. During the five-year window after terrorist attacks, inventors close to the strikes are more likely to move to distant companies. While the inventors that continue working for firms near the attacks exhibit a...

In line with the view that politics can complicate M&A deals, we find that firms contributing to political action committees or involved in lobbying are less likely to be acquired and their takeover process is lengthier. As we empirically show, this can be explained by the fact that politicians...

Cash holding is on average more valuable when firms are managed by overconfident CEOs. Economically, having an overconfident CEO on board is associated with an increase of $0.28 in the value of $1.00 cash holding. The positive effect of CEO overconfidence on the value of cash concentrates among...

This paper examines the link between the causes and effects of mergers and acquisitions. By using a sample of UK acquisitions, which have the distinct characteristics of limited use of stock as means of payment and dominance of private acquisitions, the evidence shows that, on average, there is...

In this paper we empirically investigate bidders' performance managed by overconfident and non-overconfident managers in high and low market valuation periods. Using a sample of UK acquisitions in the period 1990-2005, we provide evidence that the interaction between market valuation and...

This paper examines, using a global Mamp;A data set, the relationship between the target firm's minority shareholders' returns and a country's stock market development in deals in which large shareholders increase their ownership stakes. For the purpose of this study, we use two measures of...

Firms provide compensation incentives to executives, primarily in the form of bonus payments, to alleviate slack in the deployment of corporate resources to working capital. Financially constrained firms are heavy users of working capital incentives. So are firms that are less exposed to...