Productivity, Restructuring, and the Gains from Takeovers

59 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2011 Last revised: 28 Jun 2013

Date Written: December 3, 2012

Abstract

This paper investigates how takeovers create value. Using plant-level data, I show that acquirers increase targets’ productivity through more efficient use of capital and labor. Acquirers reduce capital expenditures, wages, and employment in target plants, though output is unchanged. Acquirers improve targets’ investment efficiency through reallocating capital to industries with better investment opportunities. Moreover, changes in productivity help explain the merging firms’ announcement returns. The combined announcement returns are driven by improvements in target’s productivity. Targets with greater productivity improvements receive higher premiums. These results provide some first empirical evidence on the relation between productivity and stock returns in takeovers.

Keywords: takeovers, announcement returns, productivity, investments, wages, employment

JEL Classification: G34, D24, J30

Suggested Citation

Li, Xiaoyang, Productivity, Restructuring, and the Gains from Takeovers (December 3, 2012). Journal of Financial Economics (JFE), Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1777464 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1777464

Xiaoyang Li (Contact Author)

Deakin University ( email )

70 Elgar Rd
Burwood, Victoria 3125
Australia

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