BFF5580 · Mergers and acquisitions

Overview

This unit examines the concept of mergers and acquisitions from two perspectives - the relevant areas of finance and the basic taxation, accounting and legal issues. The aim is to provide you with a practical understanding of this major corporate strategy. The finance issues will involve an examination of basic theory and empirical findings associated with mergers and acquisitions, the valuation of firms under a range of techniques, the structuring of bids from a financing perspective and defensive strategies. The taxation, accounting and legal issues include some of the taxation effects and the issues facing the Board and senior management of both target and bidder companies.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. define the purposes and scope of mergers and acquisitions in terms of the legal and economic consequences
2. evaluate the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the participating parties
3. describe the differences between mergers, hostile acquisitions and private equity involvement
4. communicate clearly and in an organised manner the findings from both case studies and academic studies on the issues raised in the preceding goals
5. critically analyse the strategies and financial worth of a nominated M & A corporate example
6. apply critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills to individual and/or group activities dealing with mergers and acquisitions and demonstrate in an individual summative assessment task the acquisition of a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in BFF5580.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.