Allocative Efficiency of Internal Capital Markets : Evidence from Equity Carve-outs by Diversified Firms

We examine whether equity carve-outs (ECOs) lead to improvements in the functioning of the internal capital markets (ICM) of diversified firms. Divestments, including spin-offs, sell-offs and ECOs, can be employed by firms to improve allocative efficiency. Equity carve-outs, unlike spin-offs and sell-offs, leave the parent's ICM intact but provide the opportunity to enhance internal and external corporate governance mechanisms. Using a US sample of 354 ECOs completed between 1980 and 2013, we find that the allocative efficiency of parents is augmented significantly following ECOs. This increase in allocative efficiency is driven by improvements in the governance characteristics of parent companies