Yes - let me restate things clearly:Putting to one side my...

Yes - let me restate things clearly:

Putting to one side my negative sentiment on the prospects for PLT, it is certainly true that in 20 years of following takeovers, I have never seen a deal play out in quite the fashion that this one is.

It is as though shareholders on neither side of the equation have and confidence whatsoever either in the companies that they are invested in, or in their merger partners.

It is unclear whether the Boards of either the acquirer or target have any confidence in the other side of the deal either.

I can't help but think that the April 17 announcement was made in haste, and that both sides are now wishing that they had never announced their engagement.

This deal was always a little strange, it is now getting stranger.