RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:WOW!There may not have been any hard money offers yet. In my experience, when Co. A expresses interest in buying Co. B and B's BoD is amenable to offers, they go through a due diligence process - B opens its books and history to A's auditors/tech experts. If all is good, A might put in an offer. This is especially true in multi-billion dollar transactions where there is more at stake than, say, buying a used Chevy.
The Memorandum of Understanding which usually accompanies this process might include an exclusion clause - Co. B cannot entertain other suitors until Co. A finishes its DD and decides whether or not to offer (or an agreed-upon period in lieu of this decision point).