At Capstone, we are big proponents of using external growth and M&A to grow strategically, but it would be wrong to say that external growth is always the best way to grow. Every company’s situation is unique – there’s no “one size fits all” approach to strategic growth. For some companies, organic growth may be the …
Category: M&A and External Growth
5 Tips for Taking a Strategic Approach to M&A in 2016
Acquisition can be a powerful tool for accelerating your company’s growth. 2016 may be the year you build on your capabilities, add new services or products, gain new customers or enter new markets. However, it’s important not to get swept away in the excitement of a deal and to remain strategic. A carefully planned, strategic …
How to Conduct Functional Due Diligence and Maintain Seller Confidentiality
Q: How often are you able to bring together both buyer and seller functional personnel during due diligence? Some sellers might be sensitive to confidentiality and not open to bringing their personnel into the fold. A: When conducting due diligence, we advocate a functional approach, where leaders from the buyer’s organization meet with the seller’s. There …
4 Reasons Why Focusing on Small Acquisitions is Best
In light of recent FTC rulings against market domination, Sysco has changed its M&A strategy to focus on smaller, strategic deals rather than large transformative deals. Although Sysco’s change is motivated by regulatory obstacles to larger acquisitions, using strategic, smaller deals is an excellent approach from a strategic perspective. We have long recommended that our …
How Will Your Credit Union Grow?
Credit unions’ traditional use of consolidation as one way to grow is a trend likely to rise over the next five years, according to industry experts. While the percentage of these deals climbs, there actually are fewer mergers because there are fewer credit unions. There were 4% fewer credit unions in September 2015 than one …
Middle Market Companies Holding Onto Cash
Instead of investing in growth, companies this year have been holding more than $1.4 trillion in cash – close to a record $1.65 trillion in 2014. Oracle’s $56 billion cash stockpile is 1.5 times its sales and Cisco’s $60 billion in cash is 1.2 times its sales. Eleven companies have cash reserves double their annual …
Narrow vs. Comprehensive Letter of Intent
The Letter of Intent (LOI) is an important milestone on the M&A process and is used to crystallize the most important terms of the deal. While the LOI is an important legal document, it also brings a new level of commitment and resolve to the deal. The LOI can be “narrow” or “comprehensive.” Narrow LOI …
Due Diligence: When Do You Call Off the Deal?
Cultural due diligence is a critical task in the acquisition process. It exposes hidden problems and risks, but also may identify opportunities. However, if you do uncover red flags, you may need to reevaluate the deal. Sometimes you must simply call it off. We have walked away from a transaction when due diligence revealed a …
Your Role as Leader in a Successful Integration
Effective leadership plays a critical role in integrating companies following an acquisition. Challenges abound, for instance when disagreements arise between the executive team and the rest of the staff. How do you bridge the gap? Communicate painful decisions? Maintain calm during a period of change? As the leader of an integration process, you should: Be …
Expedia Follows Demand for Alternate Lodging, Buys HomeAway
Expedia will buy HomeAway, a vacation rental site, for $3.9 billion. With this acquisition — its largest since buying Orbitz in 2014 for $1.3 billion — Expedia will compete more directly with Airbnb. Airbnb, through which people rent their homes to travelers, has become more popular in recent years, both with consumers looking for a …
