The goal is to identify any potential problems or risks that could lessen the value of the target company or make the deal less attractive. Failure to conduct due diligence can have severe consequences, as illustrated by the Enron scandal.
Why Is Due Diligence So Crucial?
There are three main reasons why due diligence is so important in M&A transactions:
- To ensure that the target company is worth the purchase price.
- To identify any potential problems or risks associated with the target company.
- To protect the buyer from liability for any undisclosed problems.
If the buyer fails to conduct due diligence and later discovers that the target company was overvalued or had undisclosed liabilities, the buyer may be stuck with a bad investment. Likewise, if the target company is later sued for damages arising from environmental contamination or other problems, the buyer may be held liable if it is found that the buyer knew or should have known about these problems. This is why due diligence is crucial in protecting the buyer from making a bad investment and from potential liability.
What Does Due Diligence Involve?
Due diligence typically involves three types of investigation: strategic, operational, and financial.
Financial due diligence investigates the target company's financial condition, including its income, cash flow, debts, and liabilities. The goal is to ensure that the target company is worth the purchase price and to identify any potential financial problems.
Operational due diligence relates to the target company's business operations, including its products, markets, customers, suppliers, and competition. The aim is to ensure that the target company can continue to operate profitably after the acquisition and to identify any potential operational problems.
Strategic due diligence considers the target company's long-term plans and objectives. This is to ensure that the target company's plans are compatible with the buyer's plans and that the transaction makes strategic sense for the buyer.
In addition to these three types of due diligence, buyers often conduct legal due diligence as well to investigate any potential legal problems associated with the target company. For example, the target company may be involved in litigation or may have environmental liabilities.
The Importance Of Industry Knowledge
Due diligence is particularly important in industries where the target company's assets are not easily valued, such as natural resources or intellectual property. In these cases, buyers need to have a good understanding of the industry in order to properly value the target company's assets.
Likewise, in industries where there is a lot of regulation, such as the banking or healthcare industries, buyers need to be aware of any potential regulatory problems that could arise from the acquisition. For this reason, many large companies have teams of dedicated M&A professionals who are familiar with the industries in which the company operates.
The Challenges Of Conducting Due Diligence
Conducting due diligence can be a time-consuming and expensive process. In addition to this, it can be difficult to obtain all the information that is needed, particularly if the target company is unwilling to cooperate. Furthermore, even if the buyer can obtain all of the information, it can be difficult to interpret that information properly without industry knowledge and experience. Buyers usually hire third-party firms to conduct due diligence on their behalf. These firms bring in experts in different areas, such as accounting, finance, and law, to help interpret the information that is obtained.
The value of due diligence cannot be overstated. It is crucial for buyers to conduct due diligence to protect themselves from making a bad investment and from potential liability. By doing so, they can ensure that they are making a sound investment and are aware of any potential problems that could arise from the acquisition.
