We investigate whether top-tier advisors provide superior services by examining the relationship between reputation (measured by whether it is a top-10 advisor ranked on deal value) of financial advisors on the bidder side and stock market-based/accounting-based performance of bidders. Using Chinese listed companies with major assets reorganizations (MARs, M&As with large-scale target), we find top-tier advisors are associated with higher excess returns (CARs), implying that reputation generates a verification effect on investors.But we find no significant relationship between the advisor reputation and bidders’ accounting-based performance post-MARs. The findings indicate that although advisor reputation can attract M&A business and sends positive signal to the market, it does not lead to stronger financial performance in the long run. That is, the so-called top-tier financial advisors fail to live up to their reputation.We also find that payment premium is an intervening variable between advisor reputation and the long-term accounting-based performance of bidders, suggesting that top-tier advisors fail in their duties to help clients achieve greater share of synergy gains.
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