Evaluating the Mandatory Bid Rule for Takeover Law in China: An Empirical and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This paper discusses the purpose and practice of the mandatory bid rule in takeovers in the UK. A literature review looks at the impact of the mandatory bid rule in a takeover on both bidders and target companies. The origin and evolution of the mandatory bid rule in China are described and cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) used to measure its impact on bidders and target companies. The results show that shareholders of target companies receive a better return when bidders acquire more than 50% of the shareholding in target companies. This suggests that China should reform its mandatory bid rule by restricting the use of proportional partial bids to increase returns to the target shareholders. The results also show that in making a proportional partial bid to takeover a company, bidders receive a better return when they aim for corporate restructuring that adheres to the state-led industrial policy. The authors recommend that the law should strike a balance between following the state-led policy of corporate restructuring and protecting the interests of target companies.