Bond yields have been rising, making takeovers (which replace equity with debt) more expensive.
Encouraging shareholder capitalism in Europe, and making takeovers easier, might have persuaded global investors to put more of their money into the EU.
But, with such an enormous pot of gold available for making takeovers like this happen, there is a notable lack of opposing forces.
Such measures include "poison pills", designed to make takeover targets unpalatable in the way, for example, that Gucci issued new shares in 1999 to escape from the clutches of LVMH.
Indian companies, fueled by domestic growth, have made takeover targets of their British counterparts in recent years in a buying spree that the news media here sometimes calls "The Empire Strikes Back".
Mr. Harteveldt said that the value of these travel search engines was such that portal companies, like Google, MSN or AOL, are likely to make takeover offers for them.
Marvin Davis, a wealthy oilman and former owner of the 20th Century Fox film company, and Ivan F. Boesky, the stock speculator who later was convicted on insider-trading charges, also made takeover bids for the broadcast network.
Low interest rates make takeover deals look easy.
Best Buy extends deadline for founder to make takeover offer.
(Reuters) - A wave of tax-driven overseas deal-making by U.S. companies gained momentum with drugmaker Pfizer Inc's announcement on Monday that it had made takeover bids for UK rival AstraZeneca Plc, fueling political concerns about tax "reflagging" strategies.
