The Impact of Financial Leverage Deviation on Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) continue to be important corporate events for UK firms. Over the decade of 2002-2011 alone, there were as many as 10,551 completed deals that involved UK firms. These M&A deals tend to involve significant corporate resources and heavy reliance on external debt. This suggests a link between firms' ability to secure external capital and their M&A activities. Within this context, this book examines how the past/existing financing leverage of UK firms influence their ability to initiate and complete M&A deals. Specifically, the book highlights the differing impact of over-leveraging, under-leveraging, and "optimal"-leveraging on firms' ability to undertake M&A transactions. In addition, the book explores how the potential of M&A deals to diversify the cash flows of acquiring firms may enhance corporate borrowing/debt capacities. This book is a valuable resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate students as well as researchers in corporate finance and managers with responsibility over corporate financing and investment decisions.