M&A is a rigged game and the losers are shareholders of companies that do the acquiring, according to Aswath Damodaran, a professor of corporate finance and valuation at New York University. He tells host Alex Sherman that conflicts of interest among advisers, misaligned executive incentives and a refusal to involve the market in decision-making has led to a history of value-destroying deals. Still, October was the biggest month ever in terms of deal volume. Why do companies keep making big purchases when some evidence suggests it's bad for shareholders? Damodaran explains on this week's episode.

<p>M&amp;A is a rigged game and the losers are shareholders of companies that do the acquiring, according to Aswath Damodaran, a professor of corporate finance and valuation at New York University. He tells host Alex Sherman that conflicts of interest among advisers, misaligned executive incentives and a refusal to involve the market in decision-making has led to a history of value-destroying deals. Still, October was the biggest month ever in terms of deal volume. Why do companies keep making big purchases when some evidence suggests it's bad for shareholders? Damodaran explains on this week's episode.</p>

Bloomberg M&A reporters, joined by outside experts and members of Bloomberg's Deals team, examines the week's biggest deals and highlights M&A trends most under scrutiny by Wall Street. He'll talk to reporters who broke Bloomberg's major scoops and interview investors, executives, lawyers and bankers for an inside peek into what's going on inside corporate boardrooms and what it's like working with the world's largest companies and richest people.

Bloomberg M&A reporter Alex Sherman examines the week's biggest deals and highlights M&A trends most under scrutiny by Wall Street.

Deal of the Week

51: Forget The Election, M&A is Rigged, NYU Professor Says

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1de72f59-c1be-4294-b83f-ae390050dae6/transcript