Companies looking to buy in Asia and especially China should conduct forensic due diligence if they want to minimise the chance of overpaying for companies with overstated revenues and profits, or understated liabilities, believes consultancy EY.
With demand for mergers and acquisitions booming in Asia -- data provider Dealogic estimates that announced MA volumes in the region have now reached $1.05 trillion year to date, up 61% on 2014 -- it is all the more crucial to pay closer attention to the financial detail, it thinks.
“Balance sheet fraud can be one of the most damaging types of fraud because it can have such a...