We carry out an in-depth analysis of two mergers and acquisitions (M&A) databases: Securities Data Company M&A (SDC) by Thomson Reuters and Zephyr by Bureau Van Dijk (BvD). Our aim is to assess the quality of their information and their suitability for different types of research questions. Our results suggest that overall, SDC has the edge due to two key shortcomings in Zephyr: the continuous overwriting of firm-level data and inaccuracies in announcement dates. However, our analyses also reveal some weaknesses in SDC and show that for some specific research questions, notably relating to the vendor or to acquisitions involving multiple acquirers and targets, Zephyr seems more suitable than SDC.

This article surveys research on the effects of digitalization on access to finance. We focus the review on access through fintech. We review the growth of three main fintech technologies, fintech lending (incl. peer-to-peer lending), crowdfunding and initial coin offerings. We discuss existing evidence on how fintech affects access to finance for firms and investors and consider the regulatory challenges it poses. We incorporate the papers in this special issue, underlining their significant contributions to our understanding of the digitalization of finance and its effects. Finally, we discuss the challenges of research in the digital finance area and propose some new avenues for future research.

Chief executive officer (CEO) narcissism affects the takeover process. Acquirer shareholders react less favorably to a takeover announcement when the target CEO is more narcissistic. Narcissistic acquiring CEOs negotiate faster. They are also marginally more likely to initiate deals. Acquirer CEO narcissism and target CEO narcissism are associated with a lower probability of deal completion and reduce the likelihood that the target CEO will be employed by the merged firm. Our findings highlight the importance of both acquirer and target CEO psychological characteristics throughout the takeover process.