Premium is the excess amount that a bidder pays to acquire a
company, premium is the difference between the price paid by bidder
and the estimated value of the company. Bidders pay premium in
domestic M&A because of the following reasons:
- Bidders want to make sure that the deal is closed as early as
possible.
- When company gets merged or acquired, synergy creates. In
simple words, synergy is one plus one equal to eleven. Bidder
Company pays extra premium to acquire a target company because the
management thinks that the synergy generated by the combination of
two companies will be greater than the actual price paid for the
target, Synergy will reap more benefits in coming future.
- Sometimes bidder company wants to motivate the target company
to perform well that is why, pays premium to acquire that.
- Acquirer company pays premium in buying target company because
of target company's brand image, name, market share, product,
network, solid customer base etc.
Acquisition premium is recorded as Goodwill in the balance sheet
of acquirer.