RE:Tier II manipulationAn acquiror would get such a tiny amount of shares if they bid on them in the open market that on a deal this size it wouldn't be worth their time. Plus you're right, if they started buying and then didn't stitch up a deal what would they do with the handful of shares they were able to get?
LME is only trading on 12-15mm shares, the rest are in the pockets of small fries like us and the big insiders. That's not alot of shares.
I think the most likely reason that the shares aren't getting pumped corporately is that they really DO have partners at the table to acquire the company. Part of that negotiation will likely be not broadcasting big time positive news to keep a flood of bidders from the doors of the buyers already engaged.
Not common in a public market deal, seems normal in a private equity deal.
Not a situation that can last forever but as long as a buyer is at step 6 or 7 of their process I doubt we'll hear anything real on the mineralization of the Ishkoday from LME. The quiet is likely positive. If we see tons of reporting on the deposit I think that's a signal that whoever was at the table isn't anymore.