RE: it will be mid /06 before we can really know I don't know if that is the way it is going to play out IMHO.
I was at the Gold show this week, and I stopped at a couple of booths EVR etc. There were of the opinion that Andre will make a deal before Christmas. I know that might be wishful thinking on their part. However I stopped naturally first at the VIA booth. The opinion I got when I mentioned that it might take quite awhile before a deal is made, and maybe as a few posters have indicated, the longer VIA holds on to Eleonore the better deal we all will get. The answer I got was there could be a deal before Christmas. I know what is said at a trade show is neither here nor there, however Bob Bishop who in my view is one of the best letter writers around, and a great fan of Eleonore, believes that a deal will be struck during this fall in his review of VIA.
I believe IMHO first of all that you can't say that VIA will only trade in some sort of range until the takeover. Everytime they drill there is a chance that the market will love the results, even though they haven't recently. Then there is the price of Gold. I know so far it hasn't made a blind bit of difference for VIA, however that could change the closer we get to 500.00
I know it was very surprising that VIA didn't jump when this weeks results came out, and slipped a bit today. I remember last spring they had results too that didn't get a good reaction for the first couple of days, so maybe as a couple of posters have said, it might take the long weekend for the letter writers to do up their lastest on VIA which hopefully should be great IMHO.
Lastly there are the large Gold producers who have been looking over VIA with their expertise and computer models.
IMHO, I believe that they know as we do the longer they wait to make a deal for Eleonore, the more it will cost them, especiallly if the price of Gold keeps on heading upwards. The longer they wait, the more of a double whammy they have to put up with. VIA becomes larger, and the price of Gold is higher.
IMHO, I believe what will happen is that Eleonore will probably be sold sooner rather than later, however Andre hopefully will make sure that VIA shareholders will get a great price probably with great upside for the VIA shareholders in some sort of royality scheme, the better Eleonore becomes.
VIA have always been a prospect generator, letting other companies foot the cost of drilling, and maybe on the Eleonore deal, they will do the same thing, however with a great deal for us shareholders.
Remember, the majors can wait only so long before the know they have to make a deal of Eleonore. Maybe one more set of drill results and a raising Gold price will start the bidding war.