Extending Industry Specialization through Cross-Border Acquisitions

Laurent Frésard, Ulrich Hege and Gordon Phillips

The Review of Financial Studies, 2017, vol. 30, issue 5, 1539-1582

Abstract: We investigate the role of industry specialization in horizontal cross-border mergers and acquisitions. We find that acquirers from more specialized industries in a country are more likely to buy foreign targets in countries that are less specialized in these same industries. The role of industry specialization in foreign acquisitions is more prevalent when contracting inefficiencies and exporting costs limit arm’s-length relationships. The economic gains in cross-border deals are larger when specialized acquirers purchase assets in less specialized industries. These results are consistent with an internalization motive for foreign acquisitions, through which acquirers can apply localized intangibles on foreign assets.

JEL-codes: F21 G34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

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Working Paper: Extending Industry Specialization through Cross-Border Acquisitions (2016)
Working Paper: Extending Industry Specialization through Cross-Border Acquisitions (2016)
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