The introduction of due diligence into German business practice has raised numerous legal issues that are the subject of controversially conducted discussions in legal literature. The author discusses the corporate and capital market law requirements and limits of due diligence in the context of a stock corporation as the target company. For the first time, these legal questions are examined for all types of business transactions, including mergers, company and equity purchases, private equity, joint ventures, and initial public offerings as well as public takeover bids. Previous contributions typically focus on examining the legal questions arising from company acquisitions and equity purchases. The author demonstrates that the differing economic objectives of individual M&A transactions and the various types of legal considerations play a significant role.