1、 Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress Washmgton DC 20540 NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MERGERS: BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ISSUES IP0193M A wave of merger activity started i n May 1981 and swept through the American business community. The dollar volume of major acquisitions i n
2、 1.981 exceeded $82 billion, an increase of 86% over 1980s dollar volume of $44.3 billion. There were 113 separate mergers i n 1981 that exceeded $100 million, and several of those exceeded $1 billion. Why, when many business executives are questioning the s t a b i l i t y of the U.S. economy, are
3、corporations so eager t o buy each other up? How are the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commis- sion, and the Department of Justice involved with mergers and acquisitions? What were the largest mergers of 1981? This Info Pack explains various types of mergers and acquisitions and provides materials relating t o the recent wave of mergers. Congressional Reference Division GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS COLLECT I0 N