The impact of pre-merger earnings management on non-cash acquisition premia: Evidence from the European market for corporate control

Using 1320 European mergers and acquisitions (M&As) completed between 2003 and 2012, this paper investigates patterns of earnings management and the implications for non-cash acquisition premia considering both the form of payment and the target firm’s listing status. The empirical evidence documented in this study suggests that management teams engage in pre-merger upward earnings management and that it is more evident for private rather than for publicly listed targets in order to compensate for the higher information asymmetry. This earnings management procedure leads to higher takeover premia even after controlling for variables such as the acquirer’s internal investment opportunities, profitability or available free cash flow.