The Scotsman - Business - BAE Systems silences carpers with US capture

This Scrutineer column by John Bowker ties in with yesterday's post on BAE's buy of a U.S. company that makes small tanks, etc., for the military. Mostly it applauds the very well executed details of the buy and the apparent soundness of the strategy:

BAE Systems has got it wrong in the past, but its latest big move has left critics with astonishingly little to complain about.

As mega-mergers go, the swoop for United Defence Industries (UDI) was remarkably gaffe-free. The company emphasised a desire to build in the United States through acquisition and here it has gone and done it.

The build-up did not involve leaks to the press, or an irritating spell of humming and hawing. The firm quietly went ahead and secured the deal before announcing its completion to the London Stock Exchange. This is just how investors like it: a clear and confident strategy, followed by a cool execution. BAE’s move is a lesson in market etiquette - take heed, the unfortunate Deutsche Börse...