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Maritime Policy & Management
The flagship journal of international shipping and port research
Volume 34, 2007 - Issue 3
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Original Articles

Value creation through corporate destruction? Corporate governance in shipping takeovers

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Pages 225-242 | Published online: 26 Jun 2007

References and notes

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  • Cumulative abnormal returns have been also calculated using an arithmetic or simple process but results (not shown) were qualitatively similar for both target and bidder firms
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  • Since financial data on Fortress, a private investment company, have not been available, this case has been excluded from the final discussion. Although not presented, the implications for target firm shareholders have been assessed and are consistent with the empirical findings in the other two bid cases included
  • Asymmetric [T1  T 2] events windows were also examined, where T 1 = D – J1), T 2 = D + J2), J1 = 30, 20, 1 and 0 days and J2 = −5, 5, 0, 1 and 30 days. Results (not reported) were found to remain qualitatively similar to those produced in the symmetric event windows
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  • To test for the robustness of the empirical findings CCARs were also weighted by total assets of the target and bidder firms but results remain qualitatively similar (tables 5 and 6)
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  • Some initial indications as to what is to follow on the corporate governance front include the resignation of Stelmar's CFO during merger negotiations, whereas action has been taken to remove Stelmar's Chairman and CEO
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  • GMR received also a takeover bid by Frontline, a shipping company, during the same period
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  • The present empirical finding cover the short run impact of the takeover bids and are rather tentative. Solid conclusions on the post-merger performance can be drawn when the long run implications are evaluated capturing the full merger effect; this is typically revealed after a three-year period following merger completion. Bidders in mergers have been shown to underperform in a three-year period following the acquisition
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