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Journal of Financial Economics Vol. 131 No. 1 2019

Do insiders time management buyouts and freezeouts to buy undervalued targets?

Jarrad Harford1; Jared R. Stanfield2; Feng Zhang3

1 University of Washington · 2 UNSW Sydney · 3 University of Utah

Abstract

We provide evidence that managers and controlling shareholders time management buyouts (MBOs) and freezeout transactions to take advantage of industry-wide undervaluation. Portfolios of industry peers of MBO and freezeout targets show significant alphas of around 1% per month over the 12-month period following the transaction. These returns are not explained by a battery of risk factors or empirical methodologies, but exhibit significant heterogeneity across deals. Additional tests show that, on average, abnormal returns to industry peers are a reliable proxy for those to the target firm. Further, MBOs and freezeouts are announced during troughs of industry profitability.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfineco.2017.12.010
Volume
131
Issue
1
Pages
206-231
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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