Re: banks takeover
In most takeovers, the acquiring company offers cash or its own shares. So if Santander, for example, offered to buy Bank of Ireland for €3 a share, that's what the shareholders would get if they accepted the offer.
However, what is being suggested at the moment is that the Irish government will have to input capital into the banks. If they do that, they will probably buy shares at less than the market price, thus reducing the share price of the acquired bank even further.
Brendan