Takeovers: The Controversy and the Evidence
WILLIAM G. KARNES SYMPOSIUM ON MERGERS, Charles M. Linke, ed., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, pp. 27-39, 1986
18 Pages Posted: 11 Nov 2002
Abstract
The market far corporate control that has arisen in the last two decades is generating large benefits for shareholders and for the economy as a whole. The corporate control market generates these gains by loosening control over vast amounts of resources and making it possible for those resources to move more quickly to their highest-valued use. This occurs through: takeovers, both hostile and friendly; divestitures; spinoffs; liquidations; leveraged buyouts; and going private transactions.
We are seeing a normal healthy market in operation, both on the takeover side and on the divestiture side. The total benefits have been huge as reflected in gains of 535 billion to stockholders of acquiring and acquired firms in approximately the 50 largest takeovers in the last four years. Since takeovers are investments taken under great uncertainty, it is not surprising that, as in every investment activity, not all ventures are successful. Those who criticize takeovers and mergers by pointing to those that fail are missing the point. On average, takeovers create value through increased efficiencies of various types.
Keywords: Takeovers, mergers, raiders, corporate control, value creation, restructuring, spinoffs, leveraged buyouts, going private transactions
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