Due diligence is a term used for a number of concepts involving either the performance of an investigation of a business or person, or the performance of an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations. In particular, due diligence is a process through which a potential acquire evaluates a target company for acquisition.

Uses of due diligence

In finance, due diligence is the process of research and analysis that takes place in advance of an acquisition, investment, business partnership or bank loan in order to determine the value of the subject of the due diligence or whether there are any "'skeletons in the closet'".

The potential investor generally uses in-house resources or hires a consulting firm that specializes in due diligence and corporate investigations to investigate the background and principals of the target company. Professional reports from accountants and solicitors will also frequently be included.

Due diligence can also refer to the ongoing activities of pension or investment fund managers in keeping track of the operations, solvency, and trustworthiness of the managers of a corporation in which their fund is invested, or those of the managers of an acquiring corporation toward a target corporation.