Despite a official denial that any takeover talks are in progress, speculation has once again emerged today that Eidos may be the target of a buyout bid, after its share price collapsed by almost a third in the space of a few hours yesterday. Earlier this week, reports in the business press linked Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and Activision to the company, with the three major publishers apparently considering buyout bids which would value Eidos at up to UKP325 million - news which pushed the firm"s share price to a 12 month high of 184 pence.
The company"s share price collapsed by 32 per cent in trading on the London Stock Exchange yesterday, and it has lost a further 4.8 per cent today - with its price currently sitting at just under 115 pence. Ironically, the drop in the company"s share price has fuelled further speculation about a takeover, with media sources including the Financial Times pointing out that the crash in the stock value could make it attractive for a more predatory bid by a larger publisher.