International Finance Discussion Papers (IFDP)

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March 2016

Cash Windfalls and Acquisitions

Bastian von Beschwitz

Abstract:

This article studies the effect of cash windfalls on the acquisition policy of companies. As identification I use a German tax reform that permitted firms to sell their equity stakes tax-free. Companies that could realize a cash windfall by selling equity stakes see an increase in the probability of acquiring another company by 19 percent. I find that these additional acquisitions destroy firm value. Following the tax reform, affected firms experience a decrease of 1.2 percentage points in acquisition announcement returns. These effects are stronger for larger cash windfalls. My findings are consistent with the free cash flow theory.

Keywords: acquisitions, free cash flow theory, overinvestment

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17016/IFDP.2016.1159

PDF: Full Paper

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Last Update: June 19, 2020