1. Other than for purely financial reasons (interest on the loan and potential gains from its investment), why might Liberty Media want to help Sirius XM?
2. When two competitors merge or one acquires the other, what effect might this have on the perception of both firms’ customers?
3. In 2011, Sirius XM’s stock was added to the NASDAQ 100 stock market index (NASDAQ’s index of its 100 largest nonfinancial companies). One intriguing outcome is that it forces mutual fund companies that offer other index funds (see page 493) that mimic this particular market index to buy Sirius XM stock. What effect might this change have on the potential for an outsider – welcome or not – to take control of the company?