These paper analyses bidder short-term returns of 86 takeovers bids that occur between 1997 and 2002 on the French market. Furthermore, the determinants of this performance are examined to improve understanding of the sources of value creation or destruction arising from M&A. The event study methodology is used to estimate bidder value creation. Two findings are shown in this study. First, we find strong evidence that the announcement of a takeover bid destructed of value for the bidder. Second, these results show that the relative size of the target and the announcement period transaction is associated with value destruction for the bidder.