After signing a letter of intent, you expect the deal to close, but there are a number of reasons acquisitions fail ranging from regulatory hurdles to unexpected challenges that arise during due diligence to cultural clashes. In my last post, I discussed reasons deals fall apart even after both parties sign a LOI. Here are …
Tag: acquisition strategy
Remembering the Human Factor in M&A
For an owner of a privately-held company, the business is their baby and using hard-nosed tactics to negotiate for the lowest price is ill-advised. The human factor cannot be overlooked when pursuing M&A and establishing trust with an owner is critical. Buying a privately-held business is not like buying a car where you can negotiate the …
How to Be Successful in M&A: Think Integration
You’ve developed your strategy, identified the right markets, negotiated with the owner and papered the deal. If you think once you sign on the dotted line your job is done, you are mistaken. The M&A process doesn’t end when the deal closes. M&A is really a journey “from beginning to beginning” where the consummation of …
When Is the Best Time to Do M&A?
Some might say the best time to pursue an acquisition is when the right opportunity comes along, but they’re wrong. The best time to pursue M&A is whenever you are ready. The best opportunities are those that you seek out proactively. If you wait around for opportunity to come to you, you may be missing …
5 Ways to Quickly Lose a Deal
It goes without saying that the introductory meeting is a crucial step of the acquisition process. If it goes well, your partnership could result in a successful deal. If it goes badly, you may be throwing away a great opportunity and have wasted hours of time and resources chasing the deal. Your goal for the …
Why ConAgra Plans to Sell Ralcorp Less than 3 Years Later
Packaged food company ConAgra Foods plans to divest its private label branch Ralcorp after acquiring it in 2012 for $5 billion. Why is ConAgra spinning off this private label business so quickly after acquisition? The many reasons include pressure from activist investors, poor performance, increased competition, and tighter margins. Ralcorp’s revenues dropped by 6 percent …
Strategic vs. Financial Acquisitions – What’s the difference?
I decided to answer a very basic, but important question about M&A, given that we often talk about strategic acquisitions. Q: What’s the difference between a financial and a strategic buyer? A: A financial buyer brings little inherent value to the transaction. Typically they bring capital and capital allocation knowledge, but usually no specific knowledge …
Aligning Buyer and Seller Functional Leaders in Due Diligence
Q: “What if the buyer and seller functional leaders do not match? How do you coordinate the two sides?” We take a functional approach to due diligence where we encourage your leaders from sales, marketing, finance, operations and other functional areas to meet with their respective leaders on the seller’s side. A functional approach ensures …
Endo Grows Generic Drug Business with Par Pharma Acquisition
On May 18, Endo announced it would acquire Par Pharmaceutical for $6.5 billion cash and $1.5 billion stock. The acquisition is the latest consolidation in a robust M&A market, especially in the healthcare sector. Endo has stated multiple reasons for the deal, including building its generic drug platform as well as significant operational and tax …
Why You Don’t Need a 51% Stake to Control a Business
“I always take control, but I did not buy 51 percent. Control doesn’t have to be 51 percent. I think people get confused by that.” Marcus Lemonis comments about minority investment on Squawkbox are spot-on. When asked to elaborate, he explained, “I just document everything: full financial control, full operational control. I can have 10 …
