The best u2018tellsu2022 that your company is about to be sold (acquired) are when you as an employee observe the following signals:You are asked to re-sign, or sign new restrictive employment covenants, with no other explanation other than we need to get our u2018houseu2022 in order, typically documents need to be perfected prior to the transaction.You observe unusual cost-cutting of routine sales, marketing, and training activities (during good times) in order to temporarily spruce up the bottom-line and profitability, with the intent to show higher than normal proforma EBIDTA.You observe peculiarly timed non-market based consolidations of operations, restructurings, and mash-ups of business units and departments.You observe outside consultants (particularly from Investment Bankers, Management Consultants, Accounting firms, law firms, etc coming in and reviewing SOPs, department processes, and learning about the businessu2022 rather than learning about your products or services as a buyer.You have an excessive number of open-unfilled employment positions, with seemingly no visible effort to fill the vacancies.You observe out-of-schedule service, paint up, clean up, and spruce up campaigns to get the premises in top shape for marketing, selling, and for future visitors. This is sometimes called the u2018putting lipstick on the pigu2022 phase.You observe top management exercising stock options prior to the release of market news you anticipate to be positive. Further, you may observe top management preparing their own investment plans, wealth plans, and parachutes.There are other signs, but these seem to me to be the major indications that your company is for sale.BTW, in the US, Q4u20132022 will likely see the highest M&A transaction rates for business acquisitions not seen in many years, the combination of the Trump tax cuts, returning capital from overseas, and favorable economic conditions during the current regime make this time particularly prime for acquisitions.