IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v58y2023ipas1544612323007171.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spin-offs or sell-offs: The dynamics of corporate divestitures

Author

Listed:
  • Chang, Shih-Chung
  • Han, Nan-Wei

Abstract

This study develops a real options model of corporate divestitures wherein firms choose the optimal timing and conditions for a spin-off or sell-off while accounting for the future growth of new business units. The choice of divestiture method is affected by the risk and growth prospects of the divested assets. The higher the risk or growth prospect, the more likely firms tend to choose a relatively higher-cost method for divestiture. Tax costs of sell-offs also affect the choice of divestiture method. There is a U-shaped relationship between the tax rate and the incentive to divest with a sell-off.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Shih-Chung & Han, Nan-Wei, 2023. "Spin-offs or sell-offs: The dynamics of corporate divestitures," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pa:s1544612323007171
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104345
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323007171
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104345?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nanda, Vikram & Narayanan, M. P., 1999. "Disentangling Value: Financing Needs, Firm Scope, and Divestitures," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 174-204, July.
    2. Habib, Michel A. & Johnsen, D. Bruce & Naik, Narayan Y., 1997. "Spinoffs and Information," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 153-176, April.
    3. Nikolowa, Radoslawa, 2014. "Developing new ideas: Spin-outs, spinoffs, or internal divisions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 70-88.
    4. Debra J. Aron, 1991. "Using the Capital Market as a Monitor: Corporate Spinoffs in an Agency Framework," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 22(4), pages 505-518, Winter.
    5. Khan, A Qayyum & Mehta, Dileep R, 1996. "Voluntary Divestitures and the Choice between Sell-Offs and Spin-Offs," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 31(4), pages 885-912, November.
    6. Thomas Hellmann, 2007. "When Do Employees Become Entrepreneurs?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(6), pages 919-933, June.
    7. Prezas, Alexandros P. & Simonyan, Karen, 2015. "Corporate divestitures: Spin-offs vs. sell-offs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 83-107.
    8. Bart M. Lambrecht & Stewart C. Myers, 2007. "A Theory of Takeovers and Disinvestment," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(2), pages 809-845, April.
    9. Robert Gertner & Eric Powers & David Scharfstein, 2002. "Learning about Internal Capital Markets from Corporate Spin‐offs," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(6), pages 2479-2506, December.
    10. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Krishnan, Karthik & Nandy, Debarshi K., 2014. "The effects of corporate spin-offs on productivity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 72-98.
    11. Maydew, Edward L. & Schipper, Katherine & Vincent, Linda, 1999. "The impact of taxes on the choice of divestiture method," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 117-150, December.
    12. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Yan, An, 2004. "A theory of corporate spin-offs," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 259-290, May.
    13. Hansen, Robert G, 1987. "A Theory for the Choice of Exchange Medium in Mergers and Acquisitions," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60(1), pages 75-95, January.
    14. Lambrecht, Bart M., 2004. "The timing and terms of mergers motivated by economies of scale," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 41-62, April.
    15. Paolo Fulghieri & Merih Sevilir, 2011. "Mergers, Spinoffs, and Employee Incentives," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(7), pages 2207-2241.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nazir Saima & Chisti Khalid, 2023. "Corporate Spin-Offs and Shareholders’ Wealth: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda," Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 42-63, October.
    2. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Krishnan, Karthik & Nandy, Debarshi K., 2014. "The effects of corporate spin-offs on productivity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 72-98.
    3. Mella-Barral, P. & Sabourian, H., 2023. "Repeated Innovations and Excessive Spin-Offs," Janeway Institute Working Papers 2312, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    4. Dmitri Boreiko & Maurizio Murgia, 2013. "European spin-offs Origin, value creation, and long-term performance," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS05, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
    5. Chen, Han-Sheng & Lin, Ying-Chou & Lin, Yu-Chen, 2024. "Reexamining information asymmetry related to corporate spin-offs," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 190-205.
    6. Mella-Barral, P. & Sabourian, H., 2023. "Repeated Innovations and Excessive Spin-Offs," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2347, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Justin Law & Wayne Yu, 2018. "Corporate spinoffs and executive compensation," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, December.
    8. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Liu, Mark H., 2011. "Institutional trading, information production, and the choice between spin-offs, carve-outs, and tracking stock issues," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 62-82, February.
    9. Feng, Yi & Nandy, Debarshi K. & Tian, Yisong S., 2015. "Executive compensation and the corporate spin-off decision," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 94-117.
    10. Harris, Oneil & Madura, Jeff, 2010. "Cause and effects of poison pill adoptions by spinoff units," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 307-330, July.
    11. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & He, Shan, 2016. "Institutional trading, information production, and corporate spin-offs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 54-76.
    12. Pierre Mella‐Barral & Hamid Sabourian, 2024. "Repeated innovations and excessive spin‐offs," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 59(1), pages 155-179, February.
    13. Prezas, Alexandros P. & Simonyan, Karen, 2015. "Corporate divestitures: Spin-offs vs. sell-offs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 83-107.
    14. Ulrich Hege & Stefano Lovo & Myron B. Slovin & Marie E. Sushka, 2009. "Equity and Cash in Intercorporate Asset Sales: Theory and Evidence," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(2), pages 681-714, February.
    15. Debarshi Nandy & Thomas Chemmanur, 2005. "How is Value Created in Spin-Offs? A Look Inside the Black Box," Working Papers 05-09, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    16. Harris, Oneil & Glegg, Charmaine, 2008. "The wealth effects of cross-border spinoffs," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 461-476, December.
    17. Stanislava Todorova, 2016. "Transformation of commercial companies: global and national aspects," Economic Thought journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 6, pages 75-96.
    18. Boulifa, Hichem & Uchida, Konari, 2022. "Like father, like son: Who creates listed subsidiaries?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Matsusaka, John G. & Nanda, Vikram, 2002. "Internal Capital Markets and Corporate Refocusing," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 176-211, April.
    20. Harris, Oneil & Madura, Jeff, 2011. "Why are proposed spinoffs withdrawn?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 69-81, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pa:s1544612323007171. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.