MAs and Price Manipulations in China

In recent years, MAs have become popular among Chinese companies, with many of them receiving a high premium. This paper empirically analyzes the motivation of high-premium MAs from the perspective of price manipulations. The sample consists of 1,013 Chinese companies, listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange, and covers the period from 2013 to 2018. Our results indicate that benefit seeking of major shareholders on the costs of minor investors is a key determinant for the merger of companies. In comparison, economic synergy effects are not the predominant factor of MAs. Therefore, legal reforms by the Chinese Market Supervisory Department are necessary to protect smaller investors.