This is normal in a a takeover situation. The reason being that a company that you control is worth a lot more than a bunch of shares that pay you dividend, bu

This is normal in a a takeover situation. The reason being that a company that you control is worth a lot more than a bunch of shares that pay you dividend, but offer you little or no control over the company. The pundits know this and drive up the price, expecting to make a profit when Microsoft buys them out.