Mergers & Takeovers (Edexcel A Level Business)

Reasons for Mergers & Takeovers

• Firms will often grow organically to the point where they are in a financial position to integrate with others

• Integration in the form of mergers or takeovers results in rapid business growth and is referred to as inorganic growth

  • A merger occurs when two or more companies combine to form a new company

    • The original companies cease to exist and their assets and liabilities are transferred to the newly created entity

  • A takeover occurs when one company purchases another company, often against its will

    • The acquiring company buys a controlling stake in the target company's shares (>50%) and gains control of its operations 

• There are several reasons why companies may choose to pursue mergers and takeovers

  • Strategic fit

    • A company may acquire another company to expand into new markets, diversify its product offerings, or gain access to new technology E.g. in 2010 Kraft Foods purchased Cadbury's to increase its product offering and expand business sales in the United Kingdom

  • Economies of scale

    • Growth creates economies of scale by allowing companies to reduce costs and increase efficiency through the consolidation of operations

  • Synergies

    • Synergies are the benefits that result from the combination of two or more companies, such as increased revenue, cost savings, or improved product offerings

  • Elimination of competition

    • Takeovers are often used to eliminate competition and the acquiring company increases its market share. E.g. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, purchased WhatsApp in 2014 and continued to run the messaging service alongside their own Facebook Messenger

  • Shareholder value

    • Mergers and takeovers can also be used to create value for shareholders. By combining companies, shareholders can benefit from increased profits, dividends and stock prices

Types of Integration

• Inorganic growth usually takes place when firms merge in one of two ways

  • Vertical integration (forward or backwards)

  • Horizontal integration

A diagram that illustrates how a firm can grow through forward or backward vertical integration

• Forward vertical integration involves a merger or takeover with a firm further forward in the supply chain

  • E.g. A dairy farmer merges with an ice cream manufacturer

• Backward vertical integration involves a merger/takeover with a firm further backwards in the supply chain

  • E.g. An ice cream retailer takes over an ice cream manufacturer

An Explanation of the Advantages & Disadvantages of Each Type of Growth

The Financial Risks & Rewards of Mergers/Takeovers

• Inorganic growth carries both risks and rewards for a business

Financial Risks & Rewards of Inorganic Growth

Problems of Rapid Growth

• Inorganic growth often increases the size of the business significantly in a very short period of time

• Whenever growth occurs rapidly, a business will face challenges to its survival

• The business has to effectively respond to the challenges of rapid growth to maximise the potential growth opportunity

  

Problems caused by rapid and inorganic growth

• Rapid business growth can put a strain on cash flow

  • The merger/takeover may require investment in new equipment or staff to support the growth which may cause financial strain if the revenue growth does not keep up with the expenses

• Both product quality and the quality of customer service may deteriorate as existing systems are strained

• Diseconomies of scale may increase the cost per unit and are commonly caused by cultural and communication diseconomies when two firms merge

• Managers may be overloaded with new responsibilities and this may decrease their motivation, productivity and output