Mergers and acquisitions

Guide to mergers and acquisitions: Navigating M&A success

Key M&A terms

• Merger. It’s when two companies join forces to create a new company.
• Acquisition. It’s when one company acquires a controlling interest in another company.
• Acquiring company (buyer). It buys out another company in the acquisition and becomes a surviving entity in the merger.
• Target company (seller). It sells business in the acquisition and becomes a non-surviving entity in the merger.
• Due diligence. It’s a comprehensive evaluation of the target company during the merger or acquisition.
• Post-merger integration. It’s the process of unifying the business functions of two companies in a merger.
• M&A lifecycle. It comprises the main phases of the merger or acquisition, such as planning, due diligence, transaction closing, and post-merger integration.

Key aspects of successful mergers and acquisitions

• Strategic alignment. Successful buyers evaluate how target companies fit their strategic objectives, such as market growth, product extension, customer growth, etc. Acquirers consider the competitive landscape, value drivers, geographical presence, and economies of scale.
• Deal valuation. Accurate deal valuations help buyers realize anticipated synergies and deliver maximum value to shareholders with minimal risks. In contrast, overpaying is a common reason for M&A failures.
• Regulatory compliance. Successful dealmakers conduct thorough due diligence to ensure compliance with antitrust laws and industry-specific regulations. M&A compliance minimizes risks in the post-deal phase.
• Integration planning. Value-driven integration planning emphasizes operational, financial, human resources, and cultural integrations. Successful buyers emphasize cross-functional dependencies to achieve M&A goals.

Exploring mergers and acquisitions

• • M&A industry insights, competitive landscape, and recent deals
  • Best M&A practices for buy-side and sell-side participants
  • Peculiarities of M&A processes, such as deal planning, integration, due diligence, valuation, etc.
  • Compliance matters, including antitrust and industry-specific compliance practices
  • M&A case studies exploring due diligence, valuation, integration, and other activities

• And more