Why and Where are Companies engaging in Merger and Acquisitions : Buy their way to the top

Abstract: As the global markets are becoming increasingly competitive, companies need to find a way to maintain their relevance and competitiveness. Studies have found that companies engaging in Mergers and Acquisitions are more likely to remain competitive. (Choi & Chang, 2020) However, current literature focuses a lot more on other factors that motivate companies to engage in Mergers and Acquisitions, such as Synergy benefits, Increasing market shares, and expansions. Studies have found that there have been several historic waves of M&A activity. This thesis aims to expand further the understanding of how big European companies invest in new companies. What are the longitudinal patterns amongst the different acquisitions? What kinds of companies do they acquire and where the target companies are located? With the help of publications and annual reports provided by the five analyzed companies, the study found that there are some clear trends of what kinds of companies the acquiring firms are investing in. The regions are mostly the bigger markets and not the markets with the highest growth potential.(Radulescu et al., 2014)With this information, I conclude that the bigger companies are buying target companies in markets that they know and are familiar with. Companies are investing in companies that have a leading position in a desired market and invests into market shares and increasing their own product offering.