We examine the contracting and negotiation process in mergers using an incomplete contracts framework. Our multi-period model allows for the arrival of new information and renegotiation after the signing of an initial merger agreement but before deal completion or termination. A properly...

We evaluate the efficiency of capital deployment for acquiring firms before M&As, defined as the return on invested capital net of the cost of capital, and link this measure to firms' post-acquisition performance. Acquirers with higher, pre-acquisition net returns on investment have superior...

A major threat to the development of financial markets in emerging markets is “tunneling.” In China, this took on the form of controlling shareholders diverting assets from listed firms or coercing firms to serve as guarantors on questionable loans. A new set of rules enacted in 2005...

Stock returns of domestically listed Chinese firms are lower than that of externally listed firms and listed firms from large developed and emerging countries. The performance gap, measured by net cash flows, between domestically listed and externally listed and matched unlisted Chinese firms,...

During the year prior to management buyout (MBOs) announcements, target firms exhibit abnormally high discretionary expenses in selling, general and administration, abnormally low discretionary accruals, and realize losses from asset sales. Higher discretionary expenses and losses from asset...

This paper constructs a fundamental pricing factor based on observed accounting information. In contrast to standard models where accounting data often enter via data dredging, the factor is founded on consumption-based asset pricing theory and accounting principles that connect accounting...

This paper exploits a natural experiment to investigate the causal effects of the auditing fees on auditing quality: China recently imposed a minimum auditing fee requirement which forces some auditing firms to charge higher fees to their clients. We find a significant decrease in auditing...

This paper estimates the cost of capital from observed accounting information and compares the resulting estimates with so-called implied cost of capital (ICC) calculations and those from asset pricing models. The estimates are based on the idea that buying earnings growth is risky, and...

This paper investigates the question of whether so-called anomalous returns predicted by accounting numbers are normal returns for risk or abnormal returns. It does so via a model that shows how accounting numbers inform about normal returns if pricing were rational. The model equates expected...

After the completion of an M&A transaction, the target firm is delisted but some analysts who covered it retain coverage of the merged firm. We hypothesize that this decision is based on two factors — the analyst's ability to cover the merged firm and his or her assessment of the M&A deal....