Cross border mergers and acquisitions and default risk

Using a cross-country sample of mergers and acquisitions, we examine the role of cultural, institutional, geographic and managerial factors on post-merger default risk. We find that cultural factors, especially the relative difference in uncertainty avoidance between the acquiring and target country, play a significant role in affecting post-merger default risk. Furthermore, we find that institutional quality affects the post-merger default risk of acquiring firms. In contrast to the prior research we do not find any evidence indicating that managerial incentives drive post-merger default risk changes. Also, we do not find any evidence indicating the relevance of geographic distance on default risk.