While there are economic motives and empirical support for spinoffs, about one in every four planned spinoffs is withdrawn. This study is the first to explain why some spinoffs are withdrawn. We find that the probability that a spinoff is withdrawn is inversely related to the share price...

Purpose – Agency theory suggests that if managers are not monitored, takeover negotiations may be contaminated by agency conflicts, which may weaken a firm's bargaining position. This paper argues that some blockholders are more effective monitors than others, and tests whether the negotiating...

Consistent with agency theory, we find that bidder managers make takeover financing decisions in ways that circumvent more effective monitors. Bidder managers are more likely to use cash rather than stock when targets have aggressive outside blockholders. We also find that the likelihood of a...