As I have mentioned before from previous posts, companies do not comment on financial negotiations until they have struck a deal that is a common policy. Info. leaked can get the company in trouble for insider trading and that is what the bashers hope to find on the chat boards so they can shut the company down.
The potential is there for companies to be in talks with interested parties year around but most of those talks never come to an agreement and shareholders never hear about them.
Bottomline, don't expect to get your questions answered if it pertains to something that could get the company in trouble with the SEC for telling the public. Odds are that the Investor Relation Department is kept in the dark about on going company negotiations.