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Business Intelligence
Corporate decision makers have often relied on EMA to provide competitive intelligence reports assessing the commercial strengths and weaknesses of competitors and potential business partners. Our analyses include critiques of:

  • the business skills and corporate strategies of directors and corporations
  • the technical capabilities and manufacturing systems used
  • the specific market positions in relation to industry competitors in particular commercial activities.

EMA also specializes in providing timely and accurate information for clients involved in US and international joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and private placings, new product launches or new market entries. Our consultants have frequently worked on public relations, shareholder and legal issues in the US and in Europe, to assess the seriousness of the impending takeover bid and the raider's track record, or the real profitability of the acquisition target.

We merge commercial, accounting and legal skills with hard-nosed investigative skills honed in complex litigation. We complement the work of investment bankers by reconstructing accounts division by division, and through off-balance sheet research.

We are particularly strong in evaluating potential joint venture partners in the hotel, food, drinks, leisure, cosmetics, fashion and pharmaceutical industries.

Our recent cases include:

Case 1: Pre-transactional Due Diligence
The client wishes to be certain of identifying the right acquisition candidate.
EMA's brief: Evaluate the profitability of the target company's divisions and assess the effectiveness of management policies; conduct a complete background and litigation check on the company and board of directors to discover whether any material circumstances exist which could detract from its value.

Case 2: Hostile Bid
The client is defending against a hostile takeover attempt.
EMA's brief: Develop and analyze information on how the raider's companies are managed, how highly leveraged the bid is and the size of the available credit line, provide a comprehensive profile of the raider - current intentions, past corporate and regulatory record and credibility issues such as asset stripping. Analyze the shareholding in the target company and that of the corporate raider and examine the timing of share purchases which could reveal prima facie evidence of a concert party. Conduct low-key interviews with appropriate sources to prove to shareholders, institutional investors and authorities that the takeover "is not in the public interest".

Case 3: Buy Only the Best
The client wants to assess the risk of a potential acquisition and obtain the best leverage
EMA's brief: Analyze the reputations and business skills of the principals and investing parties in the target company. Identify sources of wealth or funding with particular sensitivity to money laundering issues and organized crime affiliation. Produce a historic and current regulatory reviews of company practices. Analyze the relationship between the board and institutional shareholders and non-executive directors. Analyze the current marketing strategy of the corporation and the net asset value of its products or brands, and assess the company's distribution and manufacturing systems. Analyze the historical financial performance of the target company and the relationship to share price fluctuations and assess future commercial viability.