Unlocking Value: An Examination of the financial impact of M&A deals

This master degree thesis provides an overview of value creation through M&A deals. It is divided into two parts, where the first one provides a theoretical framework (general overview and key success factors), and the last is an empirical analysis which tries to understand value creation dynamics by analysing the performance of a sample made up of US acquirers. The results are aligned with prevailing literature on M&A, which suggests that M&A deals do not consistently create value for the acquirers, in fact, only a small part of the companies in the sample were able to increase significantly their performances. This thesis provides a contribution to the prevailling literature on M&A deals effectiveness, with insights that could be relevant to academics and professionals interested in the financial impact of such deals.