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Determinants of earnout as acquisition payment currency and bidder’s value gains

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  • Barbopoulos, Leonidas
  • Sudarsanam, Sudi

Abstract

We examine the wealth effects of a comprehensive sample of UK bidders offering contingent payment, or earnout, as consideration for their acquisitions. We show that bidders using earnout generate significantly higher announcement and post-acquisition value gains than bidders using non-earnout currencies (such as cash, stock exchange, or mixed payments). We construct a logistic model to predict when it is optimal for a bidder to offer earnout. We show that bidders offering earnout optimally enjoy significantly higher announcement and post-acquisition gains than bidders offering non-earnout currencies, consistent with our model of the choice of the optimal method of payment. Overall, we provide robust evidence that earnout is an effective payment mechanism to mitigate valuation risk to acquirers, and also enhances acquirer value during the announcement and post-acquisition periods. Our paper contributes to the broader literature on how corporate acquirers use payment currency to manage information asymmetry and the attendant valuation risk.

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  • Barbopoulos, Leonidas & Sudarsanam, Sudi, 2012. "Determinants of earnout as acquisition payment currency and bidder’s value gains," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 678-694.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:36:y:2012:i:3:p:678-694
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2011.10.007
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    Cited by:

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    2. Leonidas G Barbopoulos & Jo Danbolt & Dimitris Alexakis, 2018. "The role of earnout financing on the valuation effects of global diversification," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(5), pages 523-551, July.
    3. Song, Di & Su, Jun & Yang, Chao & Shen, Na, 2019. "Performance commitment in acquisitions, regulatory change and market crash risk–evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    4. Jingxin Gao & Changzan Duan & Jinbo Song & Xianrui Ma & Yuanping Wang, 2023. "Two-Stage and Three-Party Transboundary Watershed Management Based on Valuation Adjustment Mechanism (VAM) Agreement," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(9), pages 3343-3375, July.
    5. Gada, Viswa Prasad & Goyal, Lakshmi & Popli, Manish, 2021. "Earnouts in M&A deal structuring: The impact of CEO prevention focus," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    6. Ferguson, Andrew & Hu, Wei & Lam, Peter, 2022. "Political uncertainty and deal structure: Evidence from Australian mining project acquisitions," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Leonidas G. Barbopoulos & Jo Danbolt, 2021. "The real effects of earnout contracts in M&As," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 44(3), pages 607-639, September.
    8. Nils Patschureck & Friedrich Sommer & Arnt Wöhrmann, 2015. "Contract design as a risk management tool in corporate acquisitions: theoretical foundations and empirical evidence," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 279-316, October.
    9. Perafán-Peña, Héctor Fabio & Gill-de-Albornoz, Belén & Giner, Begoña, 2022. "Earnings management of target firms and deal premiums: The role of industry relatedness," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(2).
    10. Barbopoulos, Leonidas G. & Adra, Samer, 2016. "The earnout structure matters: Takeover premia and acquirer gains in earnout financed M&As," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 283-294.
    11. Barbopoulos, Leonidas G. & Molyneux, Phil & Wilson, John O.S., 2016. "Earnout financing in the financial services industry," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 119-132.
    12. Fan, Cunbin & Zou, Guohao & Wang, Jiawen, 2024. "M&A performance commitments and insider trading: ‘Listen to their words’ or ‘watch their actions’?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Adra, Samer & Barbopoulos, Leonidas G., 2018. "The valuation effects of investor attention in stock-financed acquisitions," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 108-125.
    14. Monaco, Eleonora & Ibikunle, Gbenga & Palumbo, Riccardo & Zhang, Zeyu, 2022. "The liquidity and trading activity effects of acquisition payment methods: Evidence from the announcements of private firms' acquisitions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    15. Barbopoulos, Leonidas G. & Adra, Samer & Saunders, Anthony, 2020. "Macroeconomic news and acquirer returns in M&As: The impact of investor alertness," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
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    17. Dahlen, Niklas & Lahmann, Alexander & Schreiter, Maximilian, 2024. "Panacea for M&A dealmaking? Investor perceptions of earnouts," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
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    19. Song, Di & Shen, Na & Su, Jun, 2023. "A catering perspective of performance commitment-evidence from acquisitions in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    20. Leonidas G. Barbopoulos & Krishna Paudyal & Sudi Sudarsanam, 2018. "Earnout deals: Method of initial payment and acquirers’ gains," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 24(5), pages 792-828, November.
    21. Edward Jones & Hao Li & Oluwagbenga Adamolekun, 2022. "Excess Cash Holdings, Stock Returns, and Investment Organicity: Evidence from UK Investment Announcements," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 58(4), pages 603-647, December.
    22. Kohli, Reena & Mann, Bikram Jit Singh, 2013. "Analyzing the likelihood and the impact of earnout offers on acquiring company wealth gains in India," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 203-222.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnout; Acquisition performance; Method of payment; Information asymmetry; Valuation risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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