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Journal of Corporate Finance Vol. 60 2020

Stock selling during takeovers

Guillem Ordóñez-Calafí1; John Thanassoulis2

1 University of Bristol · 2 University of Warwick

Abstract

Stock sales during takeover negotiations weaken the target board's ability to recommend against the takeover, i.e., to resist. Sophisticated shareholders therefore face a coordination problem when deciding whether to sell-out early; and their actions generate a feedback loop between trading volumes and takeover outcomes. Bidding firms, anticipating the pressurising effect of future share sales on the target board, may reduce their bids. We study these tensions theoretically. We find that increasing the influence of shareholders during the bidding process lowers equilibrium bids; elongates the bidding process; but raises the overall probability of bid acceptance; and raises expected premia for unsophisticated shareholders.

DOI
10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2019.101550
Volume
60
Pages
101550
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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