The Determinants of Cross-border M&As: The Role of Institutions and Financial Development in the Gravity Model

This paper examines the macroeconomic determinants of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Using a panel dataset of bilateral M&A deal values for 101 countries for 17 years ranging from 1989 to 2005, we investigate both home and host-country factors that may play an important role in determining the size and direction of M&A flows. Overall, the empirical results suggest that legal and institutional quality and financial market development increase M&A volume across borders. The significant effect of institutions, however, may disappear for transactions between countries in similar stages of the development.