Xstrata is a major global diversified mining group. Xstrata maintains a meaningful position in six major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, vanadium and zinc, with additional exposures to gold, lead and silver. The Groups operations and projects span four continents and seven countries: Australia, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Peru and the UK.

            Red = 25 day moving average.           Green = 200 day moving average.

SALES PER ACTIVITY (Data as of 31/12/2005)

Coal:       42%
Copper:    25%
Zinc:       18%
Chrome:   10%
Vanadium: 4%
Others:     1%

According to an RNS of 12 December 2007, the no. of shares in issue is: 971,666,920

Times Online cites 971.67 million shares, giving a market cap of 32,677.16m

Highest figure I'd heard previously was for an offer of 42-45 per share. That would equate to a total value of, say: 42 x 971.67mln = 40,810,000,000.

So the $90b would be in that range of 42-45 per share (I think!?)

i'ld settle for an offer of 40 quid and be happy to exit around 38

Anglo Am are possibly going to bid 35b.
Market cap is roughly 31b (as Toya says).
I would say that equates to nearer 36 per share, but with a bidding war, who knows?

Vale have issued an RNS today to officially confirm that they are in talks

RNS re Vale in talks with XTA

Q is whether or not Vale or anyone else reckons now is the time to start a t/o ...... i guess the predator always intended an offer with a good cash element, then something may yet emerge

Whatever Vale might say, now would actually seem quite a good time as they might be able to do a deal at a lower price than when the markets are whizzing along.

good morning little temptress .... r u trying to inveigle us all into buying now? ...... actually, have heard worse ideas ...... could have done so a lot cheaper earlier this morning, for sp now virtually back to last night's close ...... whether it will stay firm is anyone's guess

Good morning mon petit choux: the way things are going, it would indeed be very tempting to buy more XTA at below 30. Chart was heading in the right direction earlier but not so good now.

bonjour a toi aussi mon amour ..... j'espere que tout va bien chez toi ..... meanwhile, you ain't got a hope in hell (for the mo) of buying sub 30 as currently 3160

PS or does "mon amour" make you a bloke?

Have just got in from a good workout at the newly refurbished gym - but even there I could not escape the gloom-and-doom of the markets on Sky TV (which I'm normally happy to be diverted by). And in the meantime the chart is heading to 3060, which seems to be its support point on the 5-day chart at least except for first thing today. Will watch with interest.

anyone think these will drop again when US markets open?
Alex

i cheated and know they did not lol!
much more relevant .....
if Dow does make some recovery and hold same (a) other markets will follow and (b) it will make it that much eassier for Vale (in this instance) to put together an acceptable share/cash offer

should have been brave and got in at 28** y/day. missed chance early am and thought about being brave later but missed the boat. :(
fortune favours the brave... but can also make you bankrupt

Alex

this has been a fun share to trade today, but then i have the luxury of having live prices permanently in front of me.

however, much more interestingly is the late performance (sorry; you're too late now!) .... note how strongly XTA finished whereas RIO (still a likley t/o target) finished quite a bit down as did Vedanta (VED?)

draw your own conclusions

AFX report:

China Development Bank, others interested in 14 bln stg Xstrata stake

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Prospective buyers from Asia, Europe and South America, including one of China's biggest state-controlled banks, have all made secret approaches to buy Glencore's 14 bln stg stake in Xstrata, the London-listed mining group, the Sunday Telegraph reported, without citing sources.

The paper said China Development Bank's interest in Xstrata is a further indication of Chinese companies' increasing willingness to participate directly in the wave of consolidation sweeping the commodities sector to ensure a secure supply of key resources such as iron ore and of the country's growing willingness to intervene on the global stage.

Cynic - you've probably read the details in your copy of the Telegraph?

don't get the Sunday Telegraph ..... 6 days of BNP propoganda is sufficient!

keep an eye on ORE!

Thanks for reminding me of ORE

Although current offer from VALE has been rejected by XTA, popular opinion seems to think that another offer of around 4250p per share would be a realistic compromise, which may be acceptable to both parties.

whatever .... i still hold a fairly small number which i have traded back and forth over the last several weeks.

ditto RIO

Whatever!!! You've been hanging around with those street gangs again.
The point I was trying to make was that there is still a good profit margin from todays price, assuming 4250p is a realistic target.