Hi Skit, I often agree and enjoy you posts. However I think there is one point you made now and in the past that I would question. You wrote:
If LP is looking for a buyout, and if $30 billion or more is her target, than a market cap of $15 billion or more makes it possible as few buyouts are for more than double the market cap prior. Depending on what's announced in the several months after approval, such a market cap should be possible next year.
This is an often quoted rule of thumb that is very often true. However, it is ONLY a rule of thumb, but not a rule of nature like gravity and has its exceptions. This case, IMHO, is such a situation where this convenient rule of thumb may not be true, When there are sufficient solid reasons for a company to disregard this rule, they will! This is a once in a life-time opportunity to get in in the next Microsoft or Apple at a dirt cheap price thanks to the Sorts and bashers. This is going to be a REVOLUTION IN CANCER TREATMENT. This has been awaited for many decades, and when the time is right (ripe) they will ignore some simple, naïve and inappropriately applied rule of thumb that would prevent them from getting in early on this opportunity of the decade at its super low price. This RoT will NOT hold them back. They will deal with what they tell their shareholders later on, and bask in the good move they made for their shareholders. IMO.