Any such offer would leave most shareholders with sizable losses.

That means that they could pay a one-time 50 percent dividend and still leave shareholders with an investment in a healthy business.

It planned to leave shareholders with 15 percent of a tobacco company.

Both propose to buy stock at well below the current price, but leave shareholders in place to profit if the property turns up.

The stock has since recovered, giving the executives an enormous windfall but leaving public shareholders wondering: Where are our repriced shares?

All that followed was a rash of rights issues which have left shareholders nursing huge losses.

That structure may leave individual shareholders wondering who is looking out for their interests.

Since the program does not offer fresh management or capital, some companies may eventually face bankruptcy, leaving shareholders with worthless pieces of paper.

Whether the necessary financial restructuring in the meantime will leave shareholders in a position to benefit from that comeback remains unclear.

This will add 195 million shares to the current 35 million outstanding, leaving current shareholders with about 15 percent of the company.