企业跨国并购障碍分析 - 图文(11)

The q-ratio is the ratio of the market value of the acquiring firm’s stock to the replacement cost of its assets. Firms interested in expansion can choose to invest in new plants and equipment or obtain the assets by acquiring a company with a market value less than what it would cost to replace the assets (i.e., q-ratio＜1). This theory was very useful in explaining M&A activity during the 1970s, when high inflation and interest rates depressed stock prices well below the book value of many firms. High inflation also caused the replacement cost of assets to be much higher than the book value of assets. Book value refers to the value of assets listed on a firm’s balance sheet and generally reflects the historical cost of acquiring such assets rather than their current cost.

When gasoline refiner Valero Energy Corp. acquired Premcor Inc. in 2005, the $8 billion transaction created the largest refiner in North America. It would have cost an estimated 40 percent more for Valero to build a new refinery with equivalent capacity.

Mismanagement (Agency Problems)

Agency problems arise when there is a difference between the interests of incumbent managers (i.e., those currently managing the firm) and the firm’s shareholders. This happens when management owns a small fraction of the outstanding shares of the firm. These managers, who serve as agents of the shareholder, may be more inclined to focus on their own job security and lavish lifestyles than on maximizing shareholder value. When the shares of a company are widely held, the cost of such mismanagement is spread across a large number of shareholders, each of whom bears only a small portion. This allows for toleration of the mismanagement over long periods. Mergers often take place to correct situations in which there is a separation between what managers and owners (shareholders) want. Low stock prices put pressure on managers to take actions to raise the share price or become the target of acquirers, who perceive the stock to be undervalued and who are usually intent on removing the underperforming management of the target firm. …… 此处隐藏：113字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……