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Creditor Control of Corporate Acquisitions
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Creditor Control of Corporate Acquisitions

David A. Becher, Thomas P. Griffin and Greg Nini
The Review of financial studies, v 35(4), pp 1897-1932
21 Mar 2022

Abstract

Business & Economics Business, Finance Economics Social Sciences
We examine the impact of creditor control rights on corporate acquisitions. Nearly 75% of loan agreements include restrictions that limit borrower acquisition decisions throughout the life of the contract. Following a financial covenant violation, creditors use their bargaining power to tighten these restrictions and limit acquisition activity, particularly deals expected to earn negative announcement returns. Firms that do announce an acquisition after violating a financial covenant earn 1.8% higher stock returns, on average, and do not pursue less risky deals. We conclude that creditors use contractual rights and the renegotiation process to limit value-destroying acquisitions driven by managerial agency problems.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Business, Finance
Economics
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