Do stockholders as a group lose something when the appraisal remedy is weakened, perhaps overly so? And should something be done about it? Is there social utility in appraisal arbitrageurs testing merger prices, such as by keeping buyers and sellers honest in what may otherwise be a rather unfair market?
These questions are addressed, along
Does increased appraisal risk have an effect on manager behavior? Recent research (unpublished) suggests it does.
In this paper (earlier version), the author examines target manager disclosure behavior before and after the significant Transkaryotic decision. Reviewing mergers before and after that merger, the returns, abnormal returns, and associated disclosures by target management, the author concludes
Does the existence of the appraisal remedy, and its use, have an effect on arbitrage spreads? If the appraisal remedy results in lower arbitrage spreads, then one can conclude that shareholders writ large are benefiting from the appraisal remedy – the argument advanced by Professors Brian Broughman, Audra Boone, and Antonio Macias in their piece