Clariant, Ciba in play (again)?

Bloomberg is reporting today that shares of Ciba Holding AG rose sharply today thanks to speculation that a merger may be in the works with rival Clariant AG. The story seems pretty speculative -- it's based on the news that Clariant CEO Jan Secher had resigned, coupled with conjecture that company Chairman Juerg Witmer may be inclined to seek a merger with Ciba. Still, if it's true, this would be a deal of special interest to a lot of folks in the plastics industry, especially in the compounding sector. Bloomberg notes that both companies "have struggled since 2000 with reorganizations, unsuccessful purchases and increased Asian competition." This isn't the first time that Ciba and Clariant have been named in takeover rumor stories, Remember a year ago, when a Swiss newspaper reported that Huntsman Corp. considered both companies attractive takeover candidates? That one sure did not pan out!