We find that bidders are more likely to hold conference calls at merger announcements when the mergers are financed with stock and when the transactions are large. After controlling for endogeneity, we also find that conference calls are associated with more favorable market reactions to merger...

We examine the determinants of voluntary synergy disclosure by target companies during takeover bids. The sample contains 124 French takeover bids between 1999 and 2011. The variables assumed to influence the targets' synergy disclosure are the characteristics of the bid and the characteristics...

Using a sample of US noncash acquirers, we find significant evidence of upward earnings management prior to announcing merger and acquisition deals. In this event study, we adopt an industry adjusted leverage proxy. No evidence of premerger earnings management is found in highly leveraged firms....

The most recent financial crisis has spurred a number of mergers and acquisitions in the financial industry, specifically banks. This study examines the hypothesis that mergers and acquisitions did not produce better performing institutions and industries during the 2006 to 2008 period. Data...

We examine the financial health and performance of reverse mergers (RMs) that became active on U.S. stock markets between 2001 and 2010, particularly those from China (around 85% of all foreign RMs). As a group, RMs are early-stage companies that typically trade over-the-counter. Chinese RMs...

This paper explores some consequences for economic efficiency of creative accounting practices by merging companies. It assumes semi-strong information efficiency in the markets for capital and for corporate control; and/or the use of executive contracts relating pay to accounting profit.Ahead...

This study examines how PCAOB international inspections of non-U.S. auditors affect international Merger and Acquisition (M&A) outcomes. We find that clients of inspected auditors are more likely to become acquisition targets after the public disclosure of auditor's inspection report. We also...

This paper examines changes in acquirer and target companies' Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads as a proxy for default risk around official mergers and acquisitions (M&A) announce-ments. Related literature extensively documents wealth effects triggered by M&A from the shareholders' perspective,...

The adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Australia in 2005 resulted in goodwill accounting shifting from systematic annual amortisation to impairment testing. We examine whether IFRS adoption changed the association between takeover premiums and the difference...

This study investigates acquiring firms' earnings management (EM) strategies around mergers and acquisition (M&A) in the US market and analyzes firm's post-acquisition performance. Acquirers are shown to use both accruals management (AM) and real earnings management (REM), both prior to and...