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Corporate Liquidity, Acquisitions, and Macroeconomic Conditions

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  • Isil Erel
  • Yeejin Jang
  • Bernadette A. Minton
  • Michael S. Weisbach

Abstract

Firms hold liquid assets to enhance their ability to invest efficiently when external financing costs are high, especially during poor macroeconomic conditions. Using a sample of 47,378 acquisitions from 36 countries between 1997 and 2014, we study how the relation between firms’ cash holdings and their acquisition decisions changes over macroeconomic cycles. We find that higher cash holdings increase the likelihood a firm will make an acquisition. Better macroeconomic conditions, which lower the cost of external finance, also increase the likelihood of an acquisition. However, larger cash holdings decrease the sensitivity of acquisitions to macroeconomic factors, suggesting that cash holdings lower financing constraints during times when the cost of external finance is high. Announcement day abnormal returns for acquirers follow a consistent pattern: they decrease with acquirer cash holdings and with better macroeconomic conditions. The results are consistent with the view that firms choose liquidity levels to insure against poor macroeconomic conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Isil Erel & Yeejin Jang & Bernadette A. Minton & Michael S. Weisbach, 2017. "Corporate Liquidity, Acquisitions, and Macroeconomic Conditions," NBER Working Papers 23493, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23493
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ullah, Nazim & Mat Nor, Fauzias & Abu Seman, Junaidah & Uddin, Akther, 2018. "Do Merger and Acquisition Affects Acquirer Bank’s Performance? A Comparative Analysis of Pre and Post Performance," MPRA Paper 108574, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 03 Jan 2018.
    3. Egidijus Bikas & Evelina Glinskytė, 2021. "Financial Factors Determining the Investment Behavior of Lithuanian Business Companies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Obonyo, Tirimba, 2022. "Monetary policy and cross-border acquisitions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    5. Jana P. Fidrmuc & Tereza Tykvova, 2023. "Are Acquirer Shareholders Happier when Their Industries Are Unhappy?," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 23-52, Swiss Finance Institute.
    6. Zhao, Yiyun, 2023. "Does the Antimonopoly Law improve companies’ cash-holding management efficiency? Empirical evidence from Chinese listed companies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    7. Fang, Tian Jin & Han, Jianlei & He, Jing & Shi, Jing, 2021. "Property rights protection and mergers and acquisitions," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    8. Gu, Ming & Li, Dongxu & Ni, Xiaoran, 2022. "Too much to learn? The (un)intended consequences of RegTech development on mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    9. Tang, Haodan & Fang, Senhui & Jiang, Dianchun, 2022. "The market value effect of digital mergers and acquisitions: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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