Merck KGaA to resist lure of potential proceeds fr https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/merckkgaa-otc-idUSL6E8F5ARC20121127
"a tussle over vitamin maker Schiff Nutrition highlighted the rich sale premium it could fetch."
"management unofficially gauged interest for Consumer Health at about three times annual sales,"
"There is no lack of interest in the business and management knows it," one investment banker familiar with the healthcare sector said,"
"Family-owned companies are often more diversified and free to ignore the logic that drives peers under free float ownership."
It doesn't appear that there would be any lack of interest in Atrium either being the largest remaining publicly traded pure-play. The only difference is that it isn't family owned; nor management owned for that fact with them owning only 1.8% of the outstanding shares. These deals take awhile to happen but hopefully we get some signal that the board is doing something to fulfill it's mandate of "increasing shareholder value" by the Q4 conference call. It's interesting how the FTQ's stated mandate on their website could be a direct conflict but 14% doesn't make a majority. A simple return to EBITDA growth next year is not nearly enough to reverse the damage that has been done to this stock. I think they'll be getting an earful at the next AGM if they don't get a shareholder proposal in the interim.