A horizontal merger between two firms occurs when: a. the products of the merging firms were not related in any manner before the merger.
b. one firm is a producer of products, and the other firm is a producer of services.
c. one firm is a domestic firm, and the other is a foreign company
d. the firms stood in a buyer-seller relationship before the merger.
e. the merger partners were competitors.

e

Explanation:

A merger can be described as the absorption of one firm by another firm.

When a merger occurs, one of the firms would not exist as a separate entity while the other firm would continue to exist.

Types of merger

1. Horizontal merger : this is a type of merger that occurs between firms in the same industry. The firms are usually competitors.

Reasons for an horizontal merger

An example of an horizontal merger is the merger between Mobil and Exxon in 1999.

2. Vertical merger : this is when a firm purchases another firm in the same production line. e.g. a baker purchases a pastry distributing company

Reasons for a vertical merger

Types of vertical merger

a. Backward integration : it is when the acquiring firm purchases a firm ahead of it in the production process. e.g. a baker purchases a pastry distributing company

b. Forward integration : it is when the acquiring firm purchases a firm that is behind it in the production process. e.g. a baker purchases a firm that supplies grains

3. Conglomerate merger : This occurs when the products of the merging firms were not related in any manner before the merger.

b is the correct answer

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