Hi guys, I am relatively new to this forum but have been lurking around since last summer in order to prep for the L1 exam I took in December. So I’m not sure if I posted the topic in the right section
I need your advice regarding my undergrad thesis topic. I’m currently in my last year of my undergraduate degree majoring in Finance and my eventual goal is to work in M&A or capital markets (ECM, DCM). So far I have come up with the following ideas
M&A Financial Services firms
Since Switzerland’s Private Banking landscape is undergoing a huge transformation, I’d be interested in treating a topic related to this. I am not quite sure yet on what to focus in particular. E.g. Creation of shareholder wealth, impact on operating earnings, impact on capital structure and whether I should focus on the PB landscape in general or a particular case
Capital Structure / restructuring
Optimal capital structures for a sector / particular firm
Determinants of successful debt restructuring
Value creation from corporate restructuring
Debt and equity choices of firms
The determinants of capital structure and ist effects on corporate performance
Dividend policies
My goal would be to treat a topic which is close to M&A and Capital markets so that I can leverage the skills and experience acquired at job iterviews for both jobs.
Any ideas on what I have so far or your inputs will be much appreciated.
Future stock market price price returns related to the private banking M&A landscape. I bet you will find they tend to consolidate at the top of the market cycle. It would be interesting to see the debt / equity mix of the transactions. My guess is most are paid in mainly stock. Is this good for shareholders of the acquired firm or should they sell immediately on the news?
Are undergraduate theses a non-American concept? I don’t know anyone that has done them. Or maybe it’s just a hacksaw thing to not do them and i only know hacksaws
American undergrads do theses generally to graduate with honors in the field of choice. I wrote an undergraduate thesis for the honors program in Economics. So yes, probably because you are a hacksaw…not just on the university level…but on the student level…SH*T.
And to the OP, I’d be interested in seeing an analysis on value creation both by financial acquirers and strategic acquirers. How much value comes from earnings growth? margin expansion? multiple expansion? debt paydown? For acquisitions by financial firms, looking at this by acquisition year and exit year would be interesting and seeing how it changes over time and how that relates to overall macro conditions. Which sponsors outperformed and where did most of their value creation come from during those specific macro conditions?
@ bromion: That’s a great idea. However, many PB’s in Switzerland aren’t publicly traded so it will be difficult to find data regarding future stock returns of the acquirer. But your notion regarding debt / equity patterns that generate the highest value creation sounds very interesting.
@ Vandeley: Yes, it’s slightly different than in the US, I guess. Here it’s a required part of your curriculum and hence needed to graduate.
@ramos4rm: How would your sample look like? You have a look at transactions of financial and strategic acquirers during various business cycles and then analyze what created their value while comparing it to the macroeconomic conditions? Also, would you use the same timeframe for comparing the value creation by strategic acquirers and financial acquirers? I really like this topic and would be happy if you’d elaborate on that