On the Use of Poison Pills and Defensive Payouts by Takeover Targets

Randall A. Heron and Erik Lie
Additional contact information
Randall A. Heron: Indiana University
Erik Lie: University of Iowa

Journal of Business, 2006, vol. 79, issue 4, pages 1783-1808

Abstract: Using a large sample of unsolicited takeover attempts, we examine the determinants and effects of targets' choice to adopt poison pills either before or after unsolicited offers and to initiate defensive payouts. The probability of poison pill adoptions decreases with insider ownership, whereas the probability of defensive repurchases increases at a decreasing rate with insider ownership. Poison pills contribute to bid increases and higher bids, yet do not alter the likelihood of takeover. Defensive share repurchases slightly reduce the takeover likelihood but do not appear to harm shareholders, perhaps because they tend to fend off lowball bids or increase the firm's leverage.

Date: 2006
View citations in EconPapers

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?JB790405 main text (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jnlbus:v:79:y:2006:i:4:p:1783-1808

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JB/home.html

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business is edited by Albert Madansky

More articles in Journal of Business from University of Chicago Press
Address: The University of Chicago Press, Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005 Chicago, IL 60637
Series data maintained by Christopher F. Baum ().