The Impact of a Break-Through Rule on European Firms

Morten Bennedsen and Kasper Nielsen
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Morten Bennedsen: Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School, Postal: Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School, Solbjerg Plads 3 C, 5. sal, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Kasper Nielsen: University of Copenhagen, Postal: Centre for Economic and Business Research and, Centre for Applied Microeconometrics, University of Copenhagen

No 12-2002, Working Papers from Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics

Abstract: We analyze the impact of a 75 pct. Break-Through rule on 1,035 European firms with dual class

shares. In 3-5 pct. of the firms the controlling owners incur a direct loss of control, whereas in

additional 11-17 pct. of the firms the controlling owners are likely to incur a control loss. Firms in

Germany, Italy and the Scandinavian countries are more likely to incur a control loss. We continue

to estimate the restrictions that the Break-Through rule puts on these firms’ ability to issue new

shares to outsiders without changing the control structure. We conclude that a significant number

of the firms with dual class shares in the European Union will be affected by a 75 pct. Break-

Through rule.

Keywords: Break-Through rule; Dual class shares; Corporate control; Takeovers and Voting rights (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G30 G32 G34 G38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44 pages
Date: 2002-10-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cfn and nep-eec
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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