For what it is worth, my own rule of thumb is to never believe what I am told . . . I will take it in as a part of the context used but it will always be results that are formal commitments (filings) that guide for me, with the context of rumors and opinions being taken as what they are somewhat tempered by the history of the individual accuracy (or not) of each source.
As this applies to EXS there has been very little I have seen that is supported by the filings, and what the filings support do not to date imo appear to support any expectation of a bidding war over TPW with gold below at least twice what it is today.
JMO