At the peak of the hedge fund activism and private equity bubble, a lot of companies were basically forced to ponder all kinds of strategic moves to help ensure that they weren't targeted. One method was to sell off pieces and use the proceeds to buy back stock. When it comes to the Home Depot supply unit deal, some are now arguing openly that the deal all along was a misguided attempt to appease the barbarians, according to Business Week Online. The lowered price for the unit--$8.5 billion vs. $10.3 billion--may be rankling some investors. For some companies, the slowdown in private equity may be something of a godsend and a chance to get their affairs in order without the pressure from activists and financial buyers.  

For more:
- here's the Business Week Online article