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Political corruption and mergers and acquisitions

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  • Nguyen, Nam H.
  • Phan, Hieu V.
  • Simpson, Thuy

Abstract

This research examines the relation between political corruption and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We find that local corruption increases firm acquisitiveness but decreases firm targetiveness. The levels of corruption in acquirer areas relate positively to the bid premiums and negatively to the likelihood of deal completion. Corruption motivates acquiring firms to use excess cash for payment, which mitigates the negative effect of corruption on acquirer shareholder value. The evidence indicates that acquisitions help acquiring firms convert cash into hard-to-extract assets and relocate assets from the high to low corruption areas, thereby shielding their liquid assets from expropriation by local officials.

Suggested Citation

  • Nguyen, Nam H. & Phan, Hieu V. & Simpson, Thuy, 2020. "Political corruption and mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:65:y:2020:i:c:s0929119920302091
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2020.101765
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    Cited by:

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    2. Zhou, Chenxi & Zhang, Yameng & Bu, Maoliang, 2024. "Home country adverse political shocks and cross-border mergers and acquisitions financial performance of politically connected emerging market firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(3).
    3. Yang, Hao & Zhang, Qiusheng & Zhao, Xiaofang & Wang, Zhongchao, 2022. "Does political corruption affect mergers and acquisitions decisions? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 248-266.
    4. Chowdhury, Hasibul & Estreich, Timothy & Hossain, Ashrafee & Zheng, Jiayi, 2024. "U.S. Political corruption and labor investment (in)efficiency," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    5. Ahsan Habib & Mabel D' Costa & Ahmed Khamis Al‐Hadi, 2023. "Consequences of local social norms: A review of the literature in accounting, finance, and corporate governance," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(1), pages 3-45, March.
    6. Hossain, Ashrafee Tanvir & Hossain, Takdir & Kryzanowski, Lawrence, 2021. "Political corruption and corporate payouts," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. Khanh Hoang, 2022. "Silent but deadly: Political corruption and voluntary ESG disclosure in the United States," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 2775-2793, October.
    8. Huang, Chenghao & Jin, Zhi & Tian, Siyang & Wu, Eliza, 2023. "The real effects of corruption on M&A flows: Evidence from China's anti-corruption campaign," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    9. Feng, Yun & Liu, Chelsea & Yawson, Alfred, 2023. "Economic shocks, M&A advisors, and industry takeover activity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Wei, Zuobao & Zhu, Yicheng, 2023. "Does public corruption affect analyst forecast quality?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    11. Liu, Chun & Chen, Yang & Li, Shanmin & Sun, Liang & Yang, Mengjie, 2021. "Local political corruption and M&As," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Political corruption; Mergers and acquisitions; Liquid assets shielding;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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