Synergies: Concepts in Finance and Examples

What Is Synergy?

Synergy is the concept that the combined value and performance of two companies will be greater than the sum of the separate individual parts. Synergy is a term that is most commonly used in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Synergy, or the potential financial benefit achieved through the combining of companies, is often a driving force behind a merger.

Understanding Synergy

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are made with the goal of improving the company's financial performance for the shareholders. Two businesses can merge to form one company that is capable of producing more revenue than either could have been able to independently, or to create one company that is able to eliminate or streamline redundant processes, resulting in significant cost reduction.

Because of this principle, the potential synergy is examined during the M&A process. If two companies can merge to create greater efficiency or scale, the result is what is sometimes referred to as a synergy merge.

Shareholders will benefit if a company's post-merger share price increases due to the synergistic effect of the deal. The expected synergy achieved through the merger can be attributed to various factors, such as increased revenues, combined talent and technology, and cost reduction.

Types of Synergy

In addition to merging with another company, a company may also attempt to create synergy by combining products or markets. For example, a retail business that sells clothes may decide to cross-sell products by offering accessories, such as jewelry or belts, to increase revenue.

A company can also achieve synergy by setting up cross-disciplinary workgroups, in which each member of the team brings with them a unique skill set or experience. For example, a product development team may consist of marketers, analysts, and research and development (R&D) experts.

This team formation could result in increased capacity and workflow and, ultimately, a better product than all the team members could produce if they work separately.

Special Considerations

Synergy is reflected on a company's balance sheet through its goodwill account. Goodwill is an intangible asset that represents the portion of the business value that cannot be attributed to other business assets. Examples of goodwill include a company's brand recognition, proprietary or intellectual property, and good customer relationships.

Synergies may not necessarily have a monetary value but could reduce the costs of sales and increase profit margin or future growth. In order for synergy to have an effect on the value, it must produce higher cash flows from existing assets, higher expected growth rates, longer growth periods, or lower cost of capital.

Real-World Example

In 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific, a producer and supplier of scientific instruments, equipment, software, services, and consumables, purchased clinical research services provider, PPD.

Thermo Fisher acquired PPD for $47.5 a share, for an all-cash deal valued at $17.4 billion. Through the purchase, Thermo Fisher is expected to realize synergies worth $125 million over three years. This includes approximately $75 million of cost synergies and $50 million of operating-income gains through revenue-associated synergies.