Walking away could turn out best for Yahoo and Microsoft: related news

Walking away could turn out best for Yahoo and Microsoft

Sure, things look rough for Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. after they couldn't agree on a deal. Yahoo's stock has cratered, and its would-be suitor has to figure out another way to catch up in the online ad market, a flaw so big Microsoft was willing to pay $47.5 billion to fix it.

Yahoo!/Microsoft Execs Meet For Round Two

psychosmyth writes "Microsoft's deal to Yahoo! is apparently back on the table. Yahoo execs met again with Microsoft early this past week to re-discuss the deal that fell through earlier. 'The gathering, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, gave Microsoft its first chance to sell Yahoo on the rationale for the proposed marriage since the software maker unveiled its plans six weeks ago. Since then, Yang has been exploring different ways to ward off Microsoft. The alternatives have included possible alliances with Internet search and advertising leader Google Inc., News Corp.'s MySpace.com and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL.' Microsoft is apparently still keeping all of its options open; a hostile take-over is not out of the question."

Yahoo Ekes Out a First-Quarter Beat--and More Leverage Vs. Microsoft?

Yahoo had to turn in at least respectable first-quarter results today if it was to have any chance of getting Microsoft to up its unsolicited $31-a-share offer to buy the company. And it did. But whether that will help Yahoo vs. Microsoft remains uncertain, because investors were bidding the stock down a small fraction in after-hours trading on apparent disappointment that Yahoo didn’t beat expectations even more.

AOL Jumps Into the Ring with Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google

mikkl666 writes "Even just since this morning, there's much to report in the ongoing fight between Microsoft and Yahoo!. After Yahoo! announced yesterday that they are testing Google AdSense, Microsoft reacted with a comment pointing out that 'any definitive agreement between Yahoo! and Google would consolidate over 90% of the search advertising market in Google's hands.' Ironically, they complain that 'this would make the market far less competitive.' Both companies try to team up with strong partners, as well. Yahoo! and AOL are now closing in on a deal to combine their Internet operations. And of course, this morning's news was that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is apparently in talks for a joint bid for Yahoo!"

Shareholder Backs Yahoo!, Supports Independence

mikkl666 writes "In a follow-up to yesterday's story about the struggle between Microsoft and Yahoo!, major Yahoo! shareholder Legg Mason has announced that they are ready to back the company in their effort to keep out of Microsoft's grip. According to portfolio manager Bill Miller, 'the problem is Microsoft blundered with the letter this weekend. Telling the shareholders you're going to take something away from them is not a way to get their support'. Nevertheless, he believes Microsoft will end up paying what it takes to own Yahoo."

Yahoo to Microsoft: We Already Dumped You

After Microsoft issued its ultimatum to Yahoo this weekend, giving them three more weeks before things get ugly, Yahoo's board of directors responded this morning, reminding Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer that it already rejected Microsoft's offer, and Yahoo still thinks Microsoft's offer is too low.

Microsoft vs. Yahoo: First duel, then merge?

Over the weekend Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, brought out the big guns in his effort to strike Yahoo into oblivion ... er, that is, acquire the company as part of successful Internet venture. In a letter to Yahoo's board, Ballmer charged Yahoo with failing to take seriously Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo for $31 per share.

Falling Microsoft Income Endangers Yahoo Bid

Dionysius, God of Wine and Leaf, points out a new wrinkle to Microsoft's pursuit of Yahoo. The most recent quarterly results, which saw Microsoft's earnings drop by 6% from the previous year (revenue from Windows alone was down 24%), have caused the stock to dip. This has reduced the value of the cash-and-stock offer from its original $44B to something nearer $40B. Yahoo, of course, has maintained all along that the original offer was lowball. A business professor is quoted: "Whatever leverage [Microsoft] built up in the last few days could be slipping away."

Yahoo-Google Deal May Face Problems

With Microsoft's previously given deadline of 26th April drawing nearer, Yahoo has made some plans with Google with the two-week test in which Yahoo placed relevant ads from Google on its search results. Talks of antitrust issues are floating in the air if the two major search engines are looking at possible merge in lieu of Microsoft's undervalued offer as claimed by Yahoo, but the final straw hasn't been drawn till next week where we'll see if Yahoo accepts the Microsoft deal, or forces the Redmond company to act on its ultimatum and initiate a proxy fight for Yahoo's shares.

Yahoo! to begin US test of Google's AdSense for Search

Yahoo! will begin a limited test of Google's AdSense for Search service, which will deliver relevant Google ads alongside Yahoo!'s own search results. The test will apply only to traffic from yahoo.com in the US and will not include Yahoo!'s extended network of affiliate or premium publisher partners. The test is expected to last up to two weeks and will be limited to no more than 3 percent of Yahoo! search queries. The company noted that the testing does not necessarily mean that Yahoo! will join the AdSense for Search program or that any further commercial relationship with Google will result. The company further stated that it would not comment on the nature or timing of any potential relationship. Microsoft issued a statement in response to the news, saying a tie-up between Yahoo! and Google would consolidate over 90 percent of the se

Microsoft May Shatter the Silence Today, Wall St. Journal Predicts

The Wall Street Journal thinks that Microsoft is about to break the break the deafening silence that has hung in the air since Yahoo! ignored Microsoft’s Saturday deadline to deal or be acquired by force at a lower price. The Journal thinks that Microsoft could nominate a proxy slate of directors to replace Yahoo!’s board but hold off on going directly to Yahoo!’s shareholders and say nothing about the price, a move that could let its shares recover from their 12% decline since Microsoft went public with its Yahoo! lust.

Media Alert - Best Buy Canada Announces Plan to Support Customers' Smooth Transition to Blu-ray

What: Since Blu-ray has now won the format war, Best Buy Canada wants all Canadians to be able to enjoy and purchase this technology. Best Buy Canada is pleased to announce that beginning this week (March 21, 2008), the company will offer customers $50 off on the purchase of any dedicated Blu-ray player. For customers who purchased HD-DVD players and attachments within the last year, Best Buy Canada will offer these customers an additional $50 Best Buy gift card. Best Buy Canada is dedicated to never leave its customers hanging so customers who have purchased an HD-DVD player from Best Buy Canada since January 1, 2007, need to bring their original receipt from their HD-DVD purchase into any Best Buy store in Canada to receive their $50 Best Buy gift card.

Media Alert - Best Buy Canada Announces Plan to Support Customers' Smooth Transition to Blu-ray

BURNABY, BC, March 19 /CNW/ - << What: Since Blu-ray has now won the format war, Best Buy Canada wants all Canadians to be able to enjoy and purchase this technology. Best Buy Canada is pleased to announce that beginning this week (March 21, 2008), the company will offer customers $50 off on the purchase of any dedicated Blu-ray player. For customers who purchased HD-DVD players and attachments within the last year, Best Buy Canada will offer these customers an additional $50 Best Buy gift card. Best Buy Canada is dedicated to never leave its customers hanging so customers who have purchased an HD-DVD player from Best Buy Canada since January 1, 2007, need to bring their original receipt from their HD-DVD purchase into any Best Buy store in Canada to receive their $50 Best Buy gift card.

Yahoo-Microsoft battle bolsters Google

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft Corp.'s attempt to take over Yahoo Inc. has become so tortured it may help Internet search and advertising leader Google Inc. grow stronger, undermining Microsoft's main reason for pursing the deal in the first place. "We find this to be a very advantageous situation for Google," Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Derek Brown said Thursday. "The longer this gets dragged out, the better for Google." Yahoo signaled it is bracing for a protracted battle late Wednesday when an announcement and a media leak provided a glimpse at its labyrinthine search for alternatives to Microsoft's bid of more than $40 billion. The options include an experimental advertising alliance with Google that could lead to a broader partnership and, according to published reports, a combination with the online operations of Time Warner Inc.

Microsoft: Yahoo-Google makes ad market 'less competitive'

would make the search advertising market "far less competitive" compared with its own proposal to acquire Yahoo. "Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90% of the search advertising market in Google's hands," Microsoft said in a statement. Microsoft said it will assess closely all its options. Microsoft's statement was in response to an earlier announcement by Yahoo that it will begin a limited test of Google AdSense for Search service. End of Story

Microsoft sets Yahoo deal deadline

Steve Ballmer is losing patience. On Saturday, the Microsoft CEO issued an ultimatum to Yahoo’s board of directors, writing a letter that said “now is the time” to negotiate on Microsoft’s bid to buy the company. Ballmer set a three-week deadline for Yahoo’s board to shake hands or else face a proxy fight in which Microsoft would try to oust Yahoo’s directors and nominate its own committee.

Microsoft May Go Hostile, Yahoo May Announce Google Search Deal

After a pretty quiet several weeks, the Microsoft-Yahoo battle is suddenly getting a lot louder. After Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said early Thursday he might walk out on its offer to buy Yahoo, the Internet portal floated the likelihood of a Google search ad deal. Then late Thursday night, Microsoft came right back with a leak in the Wall Street Journal that it’s leaning toward a hostile deal as early as Friday.

Microsoft's Patience Finally Wears Out: Issues Deadline to Yahoo

Microsoft just dropped the bomb on Yahoo. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today sent a letter (in full after the jump) giving Yahoo’s board three weeks before it initiates a proxy fight, including nomination of a new slate of directors likely to approve the deal.

Yahoo's $14 billion 'transition'

Microsoft offered $47.5 billion for Yahoo before walking away. Yahoo is now worth $33.5 billion. If Yahoo's turnaround fails, it may crawl back to Microsoft.

Google, Microsoft, Buzz, Baidu the Ad Wars Begin

Microsoft (News - Alert) (NASDAQ:MSFT) dominates the lucrative world of software, and it's number one of just a handful of giants in the high-margin world of creating the software that runs servers for businesses. But these days there are few things more important from Microsoft in Redmond, Wash. to Buzz (OTC:BZTG) in Phuket, Thailand, than becoming a digital advertising powerhouse and take some of Google's (News - Alert) 80% and growing Market Share. Microsoft was willing to go so far as to spend $47.5 billion to buy Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO). The company walked away from that deal on May 3 when Yahoo held out for more.

Ballmer: Microsoft might walk away from Yahoo

Tags: Steve Ballmer, Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows XP, Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Microsoft to Google: 'Hello, Newman'

Talk about a losing streak: First, Microsoft lost a stake in AOL to Google. Then Microsoft lost all of DoubleClick to Google. Now Microsoft may lose Yahoo to Google. In fact, even if Microsoft loses Yahoo to AOL, it still would be losing to Google, as Google owns 5% of AOL. (In December 2005, Time Warner sold that stake to Google for $1 billion. Time Warner wanted to shake the attentions of Microsoft, which also was bidding for a stake in AOL).

Best Buy Pays $2.1 Billion For Half Of Britain's Carphone Warehouse

U.S. electronics store Best Buy said today that it is paying $2.1 billion for half of Carphone Warehouse in order to enter the European consumer electronics market, Reuters reports. Carphone’s 2,400 existing stores will continue to operate under the Carphone Warehouse and Phone House brands in nine European markets, and starting in 2009 the new company will roll out larger stores under the Best Buy name. Previously, Best Buy teamed up with Carphone Warehouse to create Best Buy Mobile in the U.S. The concept will be added to all Best Buy stores this year. The two companies also have been collaborating to bring Geek Squad technical support to European markets. Best Buy said the consumer electronics category is the fastest-growing in European retail over the past five years and represents about a £89 billion ($175 billion) market.

Microsoft-Yahoo - Yahoo Dodges the Takeover Bullet As Microsoft Calls Off Bid

Here as a service to SYS-CON.com readers is the full text of the letter sent yesterday by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang.

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