Copperweld Corp., a Pittsburgh-based producer of specialty steels, fought hard to stave off a takeover by Societe Imetal, a French concern controlled by the Rothschilds. Copperweld executives opposed the bid in court; employees staged placard-waving demonstrations pleading that the company stay American-owned. Stockholders, however, were more impressed by Imetal's offer to pay $42.40 each for shares that sold for $34.50 just before the fight, and last week Imetal announced it had bought 61% of Copperweld's outstanding stock.
Tender Trap. The fight illustrates a major U.S. business trend: not since the heyday...