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Trading‐off Corporate Control and Personal Diversification through Capital Structure and Merger Activity

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  • Martin Holmen
  • John D. Knopf
  • Stefan Peterson

Abstract

In this study we use direct estimates of the portfolio diversification of the largest shareholder in a firm to study the impact of shareholder diversification on the firm. For firms where the controlling shareholder is an individual, our tests indicate that the owner‐managers use debt, dual class shares and corporate control transactions (merger activity) to strategically trade off corporate control and the drawback of poor portfolio diversification. However, for firms where the controlling shareholder is an institution, our results indicate that control but not diversification is important.

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  • Martin Holmen & John D. Knopf & Stefan Peterson, 2007. "Trading‐off Corporate Control and Personal Diversification through Capital Structure and Merger Activity," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(9‐10), pages 1470-1495, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:34:y:2007:i:9-10:p:1470-1495
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5957.2007.02057.x
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    4. Schmid, Thomas & Ampenberger, Markus & Kaserer, Christoph & Achleitner, Ann-Kristin, 2010. "Controlling shareholders and payout policy: do founding families have a special 'taste for dividends'?," CEFS Working Paper Series 2010-01, Technische Universität München (TUM), Center for Entrepreneurial and Financial Studies (CEFS).
    5. Rao, Yanchao & Zhu, Xiuli & Sun, Yulan & Qian, Xiyue, 2024. "CEOs' knowledge integration， entrepreneurship, and corporate innovation: Evidence for China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Randall Morck, 2010. "Shareholder Democracy in Canada," NBER Working Papers 16558, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Ting Li & Nataliya Zaiats, 2018. "Corporate governance and firm value at dual class firms," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(1), pages 47-71, January.

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