Manroland, Heidelberg merger getting closer?

Reports continue to circulate in the German media that Heidelberg and manroland will combine their operations, perhaps in the next two weeks.
Platow Brief, a German financial newsletter, earlier this summer reported that the two vendors would merge (see Dateline, July 27, 2009). Now, another German publication, Manager Magazin, said that Heidelberg and manroland hired Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank, respectively, to advise on the merger. The development was reported by U.K. trade publication PrintWeek, which said that neither Heidelberg nor manroland would comment on the report.