Are we seeing the start of a new mergers boom?

With mining giant Xstrata making an offer for rival Anglo-American, are we seeing the start of a new boom in mergers?

Anglo-American this week rejected a proposal for a "merger of equals" from its Swiss rival Xstrata, calling it "totally unacceptable". A combination of the two groups would make the new entity a mining giant with a market capitalisation of around £40bn and a global leader in base metals and platinum. But Anglo indicated that it is not averse to a deal in principle.

What the commentators said

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