more passive shareholders (lower ownership per non-institutional shareholder) are less likely to be takeover targets, less … likely to be acquired and command higher premiums. Using the adoption of anti-takeover law in Delaware as an exogenous shock … to anti-takeover protection, we show that the passiveness of shareholder base decreases as the takeover threat subsides …

We argue that takeover protections decrease equity value and increase equity risk and stock returns by removing a … anti-takeover laws, both domestically and internationally. In line with our predictions, we find that distressed firms … experience a significant decrease in value and increase in returns and market betas after the passage of anti-takeover laws. Pro-takeover …