interesting artical

From another site.I wonder how many share holders feel the same? TAKEOVER target Equinox Minerals should focus on pushing Chinese suitor Minmetals Resources to lift its $C6.3 billion ($6.24bn) bid rather than pursuing a vote on its own hostile acquisition, says one of the copper miner's shareholders.

Manulife Asset Management said it did not make sense for Equinox to hold a shareholder vote on its $C4.8bn bid for Lundin Mining unless the goal was to press Minmetals to raise its offer of $C7 a share.

"At this point, I would like to see a higher bid and Equinox get taken over," Manulife's Ted Whitehead told Dow Jones Newswires.

Equinox is dual-listed in Toronto and the majority of its shares are held there. Manulife is based in Canada and holds about 2.5 million Equinox shares, or 0.28 per cent of the company. Its largest shareholder is Blackrock, one of the world's largest asset managers.

Mr Whitehead said he would oppose Equinox's Lundin offer should the vote proceed as scheduled on April 26

Lundin this week accused Equinox of being hypocritical for opposing Minmetals' bid as "low ball" while urging Lundin shareholders to accept its own offer.

Lundin chief executive Phil Wright also seized on Equinox's retraction last week of data in a news release about its Lumwana mine in Zambia and questioned its "unsupported and speculative" copper projections.

Equinox chief executive Craig Williams last week described Minmetals as "opportunistic" and said it was trying to "frustrate" its ambitions for Lundin.

Minmetals this week said it had secured $US5.9bn in debt financing for its bid for Equinox.

Equinox shares rose 3c to $7.45 yesterday after closing at $C7.50 in Toronto, suggesting the market expects a higher bid.

UBS last week upgraded Equinox to a buy, on the expectation of a $C8 offer.