Misvaluation and technological acquisitions: An empirical study and mechanism analysis

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of industry-level overvaluation on technological acquisitions, utilizing merger and acquisition (M&A) data from Chinese listed firms spanning 2007 to 2022. Our analysis confirms that industry-level overvaluation promotes technological acquisitions, a finding that remains significant even after several robustness checks. Compared to acquirers with lower financial constraints, those with higher financial constraints rely more on industry-level overvaluation to drive technological acquisitions. Furthermore, the study indicates that technological acquisitions initiated by industry-level overvaluation tend to enhance the innovative output of the acquirer. By exploring the relationship between industry-level overvaluation and technological acquisitions, this research extends the literature on misvaluation-driven M&A. Additionally, this study provides new evidence and perspectives on the impact of capital markets on the real economy, and contributes to the healthy development of capital markets and M&A markets in emerging countries.