Abstract
This study examines the role of analysts'
recommendations in mergers and acquisitions (M&As), focusing on their
impact on payment methods and acquirers' long-term performance. The findings
reveal that acquirers with strong buy or buy recommendations are more likely to
use 100% stock payment, consistent with the overvaluation hypothesis.
Conversely, those with strong sell or sell recommendations tend to prefer cash
payment. Notably, acquirers with higher recommendation scores exhibit better
long-term market performance. This finding suggests that analysts'
recommendations before M&A announcements do not fully incorporate the
deal's potential impact on long-term value creation. Moreover, acquirers with
buy recommendations experience significantly lower long-term returns,
highlighting the disconnect between analysts' recommendations and long-term
performance. These findings contribute to understanding the information content
and limitations of analysts' recommendations in the M&A context.
JEL classification numbers: G34, G24, G14.
Keywords:
Mergers and acquisitions, Analysts'
recommendations, Payment methods, Information quality, Overvaluation hypothesis.