Selecting mergers and acquisitions for Malta over other strategic options : a financial study

Abstract

If one were to listen to the news or look at business journals or financial newspapers, one would be highly impressed by the great number of businesses in various industries all over the world that are merging or being taken over by shrewd players. Few of the many headlines observed recently reinforcing the above have been the following: "Eastern Europe's Oil Mergers" The Economist, April 8th - 14th 2000, pg 80. "Goodbye Fiat, Peugeot, Daewoo and..." The World in 2000, pg 108. "Ernst & Young ties up merger deal" Accountancy, April 2000, pg 7. "Europe's merging stock exchanges" The Economist, April 29th - May 5th 2000, pg 85. "HSBC buys credit commercial De France" The Economist, April 8th - 14th 2000, pg 94. "A big bank merger in Japan" The Economist, March 18th - 24th 2000, pg 84. Having noticed the significant importance given by foreign firms on the matter, one might expect that local entrepreneurs would take a certain stance towards this direction.