VALUATION FOR ACQUISITIONS AND TAKEOVERS
The process of valuation is central to acquisitions and takeovers. While all the theory discussed so far in this book applies to these valuations as well, there are unique situations in acquisitions that will receive specialized attention in this chapter. In particular, the questions of how to value synergy and corporate control will be examined.
Question 1 - Synergy: Conceptual Test
Answer true or false to the following statements.
A. If there is synergy, the value of the combined firm should be greater than the value of the companies operating independently.
B. Combining two firms, with volatile earnings, will increase value because earnings will become more stable after the merger.
C. When two firms merge, and do not use their additional borrowing capacity, there will be a transfer of wealth from stockholders to bondholders.
D. The empirical evidence suggests that merger gains are often overstated and fail to materialize in practice.
E. Firms generally become more profitable after mergers, relative to other firms in the industry.
Question 2 - Control Premium: Concepts
Answer true or false to the following questions.
A. The value of control is greater for a badly managed firm than for a well managed one.
B. Shares with restricted voting rights should sell for as much as shares with no voting right restrictions, if no one is attempting to take over the firm.
C. The empirical evidence suggests that the passage of anti-takeover amendments by a firm reduces its stock price.
D. Takeover restrictions passed by the state should not affect stock prices since all firms will be covered by these restrictions.
E. Hostile takeovers are bad for the economy because firms reduce investment, increase debt and sell assets after these takeovers.
Question 3 - The Value of Synergy: Cost Savings Example
The following are the details on two potential merger candidates, Northrop and Grumman, in 1993:
| Northrop | Grumman | |
| Revenues | $4,400.00 | $3,125.00 |
| Cost of Goods Sold (w/o Depreciation) | 87.50% | 89.00% |
| Depreciation | $200.00 | $74.00 |
| Tax Rate | 35.00% | 35.00% |
| Working Capital | 10% of Revenue | 10% of Revenue |
| Market Value of Equity | $2,000.00 | $1,300.00 |
| Outstanding Debt | $160.00 | $250.00 |
Both firms are in steady state and are expected to grow 5% a year in the long term. Capital spending is expected to be offset by depreciation. The beta for both firms is 1, and both firms are rated BBB, with an interest rate on their debt of 8.5%. (The treasury bond rate is 7%.)
As a result of the merger, the combined firm is expected to have a cost of goods sold of only 86% of total revenues. The combined firm does not plan to borrow additional debt.
A. Estimate the value of Grumman, operating independently.
B. Estimate the value of Northrop, operating independently.
C. Estimate the value of the combined firm, with no synergy.
D. Estimate the value of the combined firm, with synergy.
E. How much is the operating synergy worth?
Question 4 - Synergy Gains from Additional Debt Capacity
In the Grumman-Northrop example, described in the previous example, the combined firm did not take on additional debt after the acquisition. Assume that, as a result of the merger, the firm's optimal debt ratio increases to 20% of total capital from current levels. (At that level of debt, the combined firm will have an A rating, with an interest rate on its debt of 8%.) If it does not increase debt, the combined firm's rating will be A+ (with an interest rate of 7.75%.)
A. Estimate the value of the combined firm, if it stays at its existing debt ratio.
B. Estimate the value of the combined firm, if it moves to its optimal debt ratio.
C. Who gains this additional value if the firm moves to the optimal debt ratio?
Question 5 - The Value of Synergy: Higher Growth
In April 1994, Novell Inc. announced its plan to acquire WordPerfect Corporation for $1.4 billion. At the time of the acquisition, the relevant information on the two companies was as follows:
| Novell | WordPerfect | |
| Revenues | $1,200.00 | $600.00 |
| Cost of Goods Sold (w/o Depreciation) | 57.00% | 75.00% |
| Depreciation | $42.00 | $25.00 |
| Tax Rate | 35.00% | 35.00% |
| Capital Spending | $75.00 | $40.00 |
| Working Capital (as % of Revenue) | 40.00% | 30.00% |
| Beta | 1.45 | 1.25 |
| Expected Growth Rate in Revenues/EBIT | 25.00% | 15.00% |
| Expected Period of High Growth | 10 years | 10 years |
| Growth rate After High-Growth Period | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Beta After High-Growth period | 1.10 | 1.10 |
Capital spending will be offset by depreciation after the high-growth period. Neither firm has any debt outstanding. The treasury bond rate is 7%.
A. Estimate the value of Novell, operating independently.
B. Estimate the value of WordPerfect, operating independently.
C. Estimate the value of the combined firm, with no synergy.
D. As a result of the merger, the combined firm is expected to grow 24% a year for the high-growth period. Estimate the value of the combined firm with the higher growth.
E. What is the synergy worth? What is the maximum price that Novell can pay for Wordperfect?
Question 6 - Tax Savings From Synergy
IH Corporation, a farm equipment manufacturer, has accumulated almost $2 billion in losses over the last seven years of operations, and is in danger of not being able to carry forward these losses. EG Corporation an extremely profitable financial service firm, which had $3 billion in taxable income in its most recent year, is considering acquiring IH Corporation. The tax authorities will allow EG Corporation to offset its taxable income with the carried-forward losses. The tax rate for EG Corporation is 40%, and the cost of capital is 12%.
A. Estimate the value of the tax savings that will occur as a consequence of the merger.
B. What is the value of the tax savings, if the tax authorities allow EG Corporation to spread the carried-forward losses over four years, i.e., allow $200 million of the carried forward losses to offset income each year for the next four years.
Question 7 - The Value of Control
You are considering a takeover of PMT Corporation, a firm that has significantly underperformed its peer group over the last five years, and wish to estimate the value of control. The data on PMT Corporation, the peer group, and the best managed firm in the group are given below:
| PMT Group | Peer Group | Best Managed | |
| Corp. | Managed | ||
| Return on Capital (After-tax) | 8.00% | 12.00% | 18.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio | 50.00% | 30.00% | 20.00% |
| Debt Equity Ratio | 10.00% | 50.00% | 50.00% |
| Interest Rate on Debt | 7.50% | 8.00% | 8.00% |
| Beta | Not Available | 1.30 | 1.30 |
PMT Corporation reported earnings per share of $2.50 in the most recent time period and is expected to reach stable growth in five years, after which the growth rate is expected to be 6% for all firms in this group. The beta during the stable growth period is expected to be 1 for all firms. There are 100 million shares outstanding, and the treasury bond rate is 7%. (The tax rate is 40% for all firms.)
A. Value the equity in PMT Corporation, assuming that the current management continues in place.
B. Value the equity in PMT Corporation, assuming that it improves its performance to peer group levels.
C. Value the equity in PMT Corporation, assuming that it improves its performance to the level of the best managed firm in the group.
SOLUTIONS
VALUATION FOR ACQUISITIONS/TAKEOVERS
Question 1
A. True. Synergy should increase the combined firm value.
B. False. Earnings volatility is generally firm specific. Even if it is not, investors can do this themselves at a much lower cost.
C. True. The combined firm will be safer making existing bonds more valuable.
D. True.
E. False.
Question 2
A. True. The value of control accrues from the changes that can be made in the firm after taking control of it.
B. False. Even if there is no imminent threat of a takeover, the probability of a takeover will keep the voting rights shares more valuable.
C. False. The evidence is mixed.
D. False. All stocks can go down in value.
E False. The empirical evidence does not support this statement, though some firms may do so.
Question 3
A. See below.
B. See below.
C. See below.
D. See below.
E.
| Northrop | Grumman | No Synergy | With Synergy | |||||
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Synergy Gain = $7479 - $5879 = $1,600
Note: Firm Value = FCFF1/(WACC - g)
Question 4
A. & B.
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Beta with Added Debt = Unlevered Beta (1 + (1 - t) (Debt/Equity))
= 0.93 ( 1 + (1 - 0.4) (0.25)) = 1.08
C. The equity investors should gain the additional value of $357 million.
Question 5
A. , B., C., & D.:
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The cost of equity is also the weighted average cost of capital because neither firm has any debt. The weights are based upon the estimated values.
(The free cash flow to the firm under synergy in year 1 is greater than the sum of the FCFF of the two individual firms because of the higher growth rate in cash flows. All the estimated numbers under synergy are based upon the new expected growth rate which is 24%.)
E. Value of Synergy = 14377 - 13613 = $764 million
Maximum Price for Wordperfect= 1554 + 764 = $2318 million
Question 6
A. Tax Savings Next Year = $2 Billion * 0.4 = $800 million
PV of Tax Savings = 800/1.12 = $714 million
B. PV of Tax Savings = $200 (PVA, 12%, 4 years) = $607.47 million
Question 7
A. , B. & C.
| PMT Corporation | Peer Group | Best Managed | |
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Growth Rate-First 5 years = (1 - Payout) (ROA + D/E (ROA - i (1-t))
Payout After 5 Years = 1 - g / (ROA + D/E (ROA - i (1-t))