Financial analyst

Overbidding

In the heat of a deal, the acquirer may bid up the price beyond the limits of reasonable valuations. It is all too easy to find benchmarks that justify a higher price or bargain away important nonprice terms that restrict the ability of the acquirer to achieve planned-for savings and growth. Remember the winner’s curse: If you are the winner in a bidding war, why did your competitors drop out (bearing in mind that they too may have scratched to find the last penny for their bid!)?