Horizontal Mergers Essay

959 Words4 Pages

When two companies join hands to consolidate legally their operating units, usually by proffering securities to the stockholders of one company in reciprocity of the surrender of their stock; it is called a “Merger.”In such a situation, two companies cease to be distinct and work together to achieve the shared objective i.e. to maximize the profit of the merged entity. (Mueller,2003)
Types of Mergers Horizontal Mergers- A situation wherein two companies working in the same space, often as competitors offering the same good or services consolidate their resources to become a single distinct entity, it is called a “Horizontal Merger.” The potential idea is to increase the market share by merging with a competitor. Examples- Lloyd's TSB & …show more content…

The value of a merged company(VXY) is expected to be greater than the values of individual companies (VX, VY) (VXY > (VX+VY) These mergers are undertaken to achieve cost savings in the long run. By eliminating intersecting costs like administrative expenditure, marketing expenditure; financial performance can be improved by decreasing fixed and variable costs. Merging removes a competitor from the market and thus increases the market’s HHI, giving greater power in the hands of the merged firm.(Mueller,2003)
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Horizontal Mergers Economies of Scale- In the case of a merger, the firm gets the advantage of economies of scale and can reap into the benefits of low cost and high returns. (Andrade,2001) Complementary resources, patents, and factors of production- Various intersecting costs can be cut which saves money, effort, and time. (Andrade,2001) Increased market share- When two competitors in the same marketplace join hands, they get the advantage of increased market share. Power position in the market- Horizontal mergers may allow firms to cross-subsidize products and thus limiting competition in more than one market. It establishes market power by deterring entry of new