There is a tendency for CEOs of larger companies to earn more money than CEOs of smaller companies. Suppose a CEO decides to acquire another company, thus increasing the size of the CEO's firm. Suppose also that the price of the stock of the acquiring firm falls when it learns of the upcoming acquisition. This appears to be an example of:______
a. the principal-agent problem
b. a CEO pursuing profit maximization rather than wealth maximization
c. a CEO behaving unethically
d. the general principal that acquisitions are generally not good Investments

Though it might be seen initially that the CEO is not trying to increase the value of the shareholders wealth because the share price of the acquiring firm is falling down. This is half picture of the story. It is possible that this acquisition will bring value to the shareholders of the acquiring firm because the acquiring firm will add value to the firm acquired and the sales will grow drastically. As the story we are told is till interval so initially it is more relateable to principal agent problem. Principal agent problem is that agent (CEO) is not acting in the best interest (Wealth maximisation) of the principal (shareholders).

The CEO is not behaving unethically because there are doubts, CEO is pursuing profit maximization is totally wrong because we are not seeing short term profits and it is evident from the past that many parent companies added values to its subsiduaries.