A Reference Point Theory of Mergers and Acquisitions

47 Pages Posted: 8 Dec 2009

See all articles by Malcolm P. Baker

Malcolm P. Baker

Harvard Business School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Xin Pan

Harvard University

Jeffrey Wurgler

NYU Stern School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 2009

Abstract

The use of judgmental anchors or reference points in valuing corporations affects several basic aspects of merger and acquisition activity including offer prices, deal success, market reaction, and merger waves. Offer prices are biased toward the 52-week high, a highly salient but largely irrelevant past price, and the modal offer price is exactly that reference price. An offer’s probability of acceptance discontinuously increases when the offer exceeds the 52-week high; conversely, bidder shareholders react increasingly negatively as the offer price is pulled upward toward that price. Merger waves occur when high recent returns on the stock market and on likely targets make it easier for bidders to offer the 52-week high.

Suggested Citation

Baker, Malcolm P. and Pan, Xin and Wurgler, Jeffrey A., A Reference Point Theory of Mergers and Acquisitions (November 2009). NYU Working Paper No. 2451/28342, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1519254

Malcolm P. Baker

Harvard Business School ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6566 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.people.hbs.edu/mbaker

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
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Xin Pan

Harvard University ( email )

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United States

Jeffrey A. Wurgler (Contact Author)

NYU Stern School of Business ( email )

Stern School of Business
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HOME PAGE: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~jwurgler/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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