We study the wealth effects of the mergers of privatized firms. Our sample entails 39 privatized firms that subsequently become targets of a takeover and 52 privatized firms that become bidders in mergers. Our results indicate that target firms experience a 12 percent increase in equity value at...

Frequently the largest equity offerings in the world, share-issue privatizations (SIPs) are sometimes conducted entirely on domestic exchanges and are sometimes cross-listed on foreign exchanges. In this paper, we examine the determinants of a privatizing government's actions regarding whether...

Frequently the largest equity offerings in the world, share-issue privatizations (SIPs) are sometimes conducted entirely on domestic exchanges and are sometimes cross-listed on foreign exchanges. In this paper, we examine the determinants of a privatizing government's actions regarding whether...

Using a unique sample of newly privatized firms from 59 countries, this study provides new evidence about the agency costs of state ownership and new insight into the corporate governance role of country-level institutions. Consistent with agency theory, we find strong and robust evidence that...