We document a strong negative relationship between the growth of total firm assets and subsequent firm stock returns using a broad sample of U.S. stocks. Over the past 40 years, low asset growth stocks have maintained a return premium of 20% per year over high asset growth stocks. The asset...

This paper examines an investment-based explanation for the poor post-deal returns associated with acquisitions. Using a large sample of U.S. firms, we find that the post-deal abnormal stock returns, operating returns, and analyst forecast errors associated with acquisitions are similar to those...

A growing literature finds that firm asset growth rates are negatively correlated subsequent stock returns. We show that the poor post-deal returns that have been documented for stock acquisitions are more precisely explained by the return effects associated with systematically larger asset...

This paper compares firm stock returns associated with acquired and organic (non-acquired) asset growth. Using a large sample of U.S. firms, we show that the poor post-deal returns that have been associated with acquisitions are not unique but similar to the returns of other firms that grow...