santos article in the age, page-6

db76,

for a change, I do agree with you on this one. However appealing Santos may be to others, I can't see any takeover of Santos getting regulatory approvals.

They are caught between ACCC anti-competition, anti-monopoly issues for a domestic predator, and FIRB issues for a foreign takeover.

Once you get to a certain size, takeovers become a really big deal, and hence problematic for regulators. Particular in energy, which is politically sensitive and strategically important.


...which means... Large companies need to seize mid-tier companies, before they get too big. They benefit both by buying into assets before their value is realised (as in QGC!), AND, flying under the radar of the regulators before those assets are seen as too big and too strategically important.

Y