The feeding frenzy surrounding VNU's takeover talks appears to be influencing investor thinking about other marketing and media research giants. Shares of U.K.-based Taylor Nelson Sofres, a company
that competes with VNU in many markets, have begun to rise on similar takeover speculation. Interestingly, TNS could be a potential suitor for one or more of VNU's assets, assuming private equity
firms succeed in their plan to buy the parent of Nielsen Media Research and ACNielsen out and break it up. -- Joe Mandese