The moderating effects of the industry competition level and industry diversification on the relationship between the transaction price of mergers and acquisitions and corporate value

Abstract

This study delved into the moderating impact of industry diversification and competition intensity on the relationship between merger and acquisition transaction prices and enterprise value. Using panel data on corporate mergers and acquisitions in Jordan between 2017 and 2022, this study applied a fixed effect model and performed robust regression to test hypotheses. A total of 402 observations for 108 companies were included in the estimation, and year dummies were incorporated into the model to control for year-specific effects. The findings revealed that transaction prices had a significantly negative impact on the firm’s future value. However, this negative effect was mitigated in the opposite direction if the acquirer faced highly competitive intensity. Moreover, in the case of mergers and acquisitions between companies in different industries, this mitigating effect became even more pronounced. The study carries several theoretical implications. It quantitatively demonstrated that the effects of corporate mergers and acquisitions, particularly the effects of transaction prices, influence the corporation’s value. These effects are moderated by the corporation’s competitive environment and the characteristics of the merger and acquisition, including whether it involves companies in different industries. The research also has significant implications for practical corporate merger and acquisition applications. Practitioners should analyse synergies and fair values with target companies and comprehensively consider the competitive intensity of the company's markets that can be effectively accessed through mergers and acquisitions when anticipating the effects of mergers and acquisitions.