M&A has for decades been an important topic within the corporate world as well as financial research, due to its performance and the impact it generates. The main objective of this study is to explore the effect of M&A announcements on the short-term performance of acquiring firms on the Swedish stock market. By conducting an event study with a sample of 194 M&As in various industries from 2007-01-01 to 2018-02-07, we are able to retrieve abnormal returns, analysing cumulative abnormal returns in order to measure the effect the announcements have on the stock price. Three performance factors are included in order to get an understanding of the potential impact they have, and if so, how strong that impact is. The performance factors are (1) payment method, (2) diversified versus focused M&As, and (3) cross-border versus domestic M&As. The empirical findings tell us that the abnormal returns are significant for most industries, and to a great extent positive. The performance variables only show significance for cash as a payment method where it generates a negative effect on the main event window (-1, +1). With these findings we hope to contribute to existing research by creating higher awareness to society and organisations about the performance M&As bring.

Problem: A widely accepted perception within the research community is that initial public offerings tend to be underpriced on a global level. Numerous studies have been conducted across global markets to identify the underlying factors. However, the findings have been heterogeneous and contradictory. Within the context of underpricing, the Nordic market, including Sweden, is relatively underexplored compared to the extensively researched American market. This research study aims to investigate several crucial variables, based on previous international research, and their relationship to this phenomenon within an area that remains insufficiently explored. Purpose: The goal of this study is to contribute to the existing IPO literature, by examining the factors that have statistically significant associations with underpricing in IPOs on the Swedish market. Method: The study has utilized empirical quantitative methodology with a deductive approach, and has relied on secondary data. It has examined short-term returns, specifically the returns generated on the first day of trading. Hypotheses regarding the study's five independent variables have been deduced from existing international empirical evidence. These variables are (1) industry affiliation, (2) company size (measured by revenue), (3) company age, (4) debt ratio, and (5) stock exchange regulations (measured through markets). By using multiple regression analysis, it has been possible to determine whether any of these variables have a statistically significant association with underpricing in IPOs. Results/Conclusion: The study reported non-statistically significant findings, which contradict the majority of previous scientific research. However, without regard to the regression analysis, weak support remained for certain independent variables showing vague associations with the studied phenomenon. / Problem: En vedertagen uppfattning inom forskarvärlden är att börsintroduktioner har en generell tendens att vara underprissatta på en global nivå. Många undersökningar har genomförts på världens marknader i syfte att identifiera de underliggande faktorerna. Resultaten har emellertid varit heterogena och motsägelsefulla. Inom ramen för underprissättning är den nordiska marknaden, med Sverige som en del av den, jämförelsevis outforskad i förhållande till den amerikanska som varit föremål för betydligt mer omfattande forskning. Forskningsstudien ämnar undersöka ett antal avgörande variabler, baserade på tidigare internationell forskning, och dess koppling till fenomenet inom ett område som ännu inte är tillräckligt utforskat. Syfte: Föreliggande studie har som mål att bidra till den befintliga börsintroduktionslitteraturen, genom att utreda vilka faktorer som har statistiskt signifikanta samband med underprissättning vid börsintroduktioner på den svenska marknaden. Metod: Studien har använt empirisk kvantitativ metodik med deduktiv ansats, och har utgått från sekundärdata. Studien har undersökt den kortsiktiga avkastningen, mer specifikt; den avkastning som skapats under första handelsdagen. Hypoteser om studiens fem oberoende variabler har deducerats från befintliga internationella empiriska underlag. Dessa är; (1) branschtillhörighet, (2) företagsstorlek (mätt som omsättning), (3) företagsålder, (4) skuldsättningsgrad och (5) börshandelsregler (mätt genom marknader). Med hjälp av en multipel regressionsanalys, har det varit möjligt att utreda om någon av dessa variabler uppvisat ett statistiskt signifikant samband med underprissättningen. Resultat/Slutsats: Studien rapporterade icke-statistiskt signifikanta fynd vilket motsäger merparten av tidigare vetenskaplig forskning. Emellertid, utan hänsyn till regressionsanalysen, återstod svaga stöd för att vissa oberoende variabler kunnat visa vaga samband med det studerade fenomenet.