Shareholder Benefits and Firm Performance : An Empirical Analysis of International Acquisitions by Firms from a Developing Economy

Previous research on international mergers and acquisitions has not looked at the valuation consequences of international acquisitions by firms from a developing economy. This study examines the announcement effect and the post-acquisition long-term performance of 96 Indian international acquisitions of U.S. firms made in the period 1999-2005. The study also explores the impact of the Indian acquiring firms' U.S. acquisitions on their underlying operating variables, and risk diversification. We find that while the international acquisition announcements by Indian firms create significant short-term shareholders' wealth, in the long-run international acquisitions have a negative impact on the shareholders' wealth. We also find a significant decrease in the acquiring firms' financial profitability ratios, though there is an evidence of risk-reduction due to global diversification