Features > Microsoft & Yahoo Merger
May. 9, 2008 at 8:27am by Greg Sterling
Google Executives Defend Potential Yahoo Deal, Microsoft Releases "Proxy Directors," Looks Beyond Search And "The Last Click"
Yesterday before Google's annual meeting of shareholders, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page fielded questions from reporters on a range of subjects, including a potential paid search deal with Yahoo and its anti-trust implications. Their argument was that a future paid search deal could be...
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May. 8, 2008 at 8:22am by Greg Sterling
Microsoft & Facebook Do Mating Dance As Microsoft Seeks Alternatives To Yahoo; Google Now Uncertain On Yahoo?
At one point or another, most of the big online media companies have talked about buying Facebook. Yahoo is rumored to have made an early offer of almost $1 billion for the company, which was (obviously) turned down. But as the MicroHoo discussions appeared to be deteriorating, Microsoft apparently made...
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May. 6, 2008 at 5:41am by Danny Sullivan
Aftermath: Yahoo Still Open To Deals; Stock Largely Survives
With the first day over since Microsoft bailed on Yahoo, I find myself chuckling with agreement over Valleywag's "Post-Microsoft, Yahoo shares 'plunge' from $19 to $24.60" headline. Yahoo fared far better than many had predicted. Part of that may be due to thoughts that it is not all over yet...
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May. 5, 2008 at 7:11am by Danny Sullivan
Yahoo Next Steps: Google Deal, AOL Purchase & Pleasing Investors
The question of the day seems to be how low will Yahoo go when the US stock market opens later today. Even I, optimistic about Yahoo's chances on its own, don't expect it to rise. But maybe the latest blog spin from Yahoo, along with formal news of a deal...
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May. 4, 2008 at 10:49am by Danny Sullivan
Leaving Las Yahoo: Microsoft's $5 Billion Mistake?
If Microsoft's walkaway from the Yahoo deal is indeed a ploy to save $5 billion, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have proven himself pennywise and pound foolish. He was prepared to spend billions to finally make Microsoft a serious rival to Google. For a bit more, he may have destroyed...
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May. 3, 2008 at 8:04pm by Greg Sterling
Microsoft Yanks Its Offer For Yahoo
Microsoft has decided to withdraw its offer for Yahoo and not pursue a hostile takeover bid, according to a letter from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, just released: "Clearly a deal is not to be." This marks an amazing turn in the MicroHoo drama. When the acquisition bid was first announced...
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May. 2, 2008 at 3:38pm by Greg Sterling
WSJ: Microsoft, Yahoo Talking To Avoid Hostile Proxy Fight
The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Microsoft and Yahoo are holding talks to try and avoid the promised proxy battle/hostile takeover effort that is certain to be wearying for both sides. According to the paper, "Talks between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. intensified Friday as the two sides...
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May. 1, 2008 at 10:01pm by Greg Sterling
WSJ: Yahoo Poised To Announce Google Ads Deal; Ballmer Says Microsoft Could Go It Alone
According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo is ready to formally announce a deal to incorporate Google AdWords into its search results -- potentially within a week. The deal could be part of a larger "open" system in which Yahoo serves the most lucrative ad in search results from its...
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Apr. 30, 2008 at 6:25pm by Greg Sterling
Microsoft Willing To Raise Bid, But How Much Is Enough?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft's directors are collectively willing to authorize the company to raise its bid for Yahoo to up to $33 per share but perhaps not to the levels that Yahoo has signaled it wants to be acquired. If such a sweetened bid did occur...
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Apr. 30, 2008 at 9:33am by Greg Sterling
Court Documents: Microsoft Allocates $1.5 Billion For Yahoo Employee Retention
Court documents cited by the Wall Street Journal (also CNET) show that Microsoft has set aside $1.5 billion to retain Yahoo employees in the event of a successful takeover. This is apparently not tied to the generous "poison pill" severance packages that Yahoo put in place in the event of...
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Apr. 28, 2008 at 11:31am by Greg Sterling
Monday MicroHoo Silence, Google Confident About Regulators In Deal With Yahoo
It's Monday morning and there are no official statements from either Microsoft or Yahoo on the passage of the Microsoft-imposed three week deadline to respond to its takeover offer. (The deadline passed on Saturday.) The Wall Street Journal has a quick assessment of where things stand. Silicon Alley Insider also...
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Apr. 25, 2008 at 4:45pm by Greg Sterling
Stay Tuned: Will Microsoft Sweeten The Deal?
The NY Post is reporting that despite public statements from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and CFO Chris Liddell, the offer on the table is final and that though Microsoft might "walk away" from Yahoo, there may in fact be a new and improved offer to Jerry Yang and his fellow...
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Apr. 24, 2008 at 2:47pm by Greg Sterling
MicroHoo: Let The Proxy Fight Begin!
The Seattle PI is suggesting that the fight for control of Yahoo's board, which Microsoft had previously threatened, may begin in earnest this weekend. Conversations with institutional shareholders have already been taking place. The three week deadline set by Steve Ballmer for Yahoo to come to the table will expire...
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Apr. 24, 2008 at 10:29am by Greg Sterling
US Justice Department Scrutinizing GooHoo Paid Search Test
According to Reuters the US Justice Department is taking a look at the paid search partnership test between Google and Yahoo. According to the article, there are antitrust concerns raised by the test and its implications and the Justice Department has "initiated an investigation" of it....
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Apr. 23, 2008 at 10:11am by Greg Sterling
MicroHoo: High Stakes Game Of "Chicken" Now In Progress
Yahoo's generally solid quarter yesterday helps make the case that the company is worth more than the current value of Microsoft's bid. In advance of the earnings call yesterday, however, Steve Ballmer said that the company was not prepared to offer any more than what it already had put on...
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Apr. 22, 2008 at 11:05am by Greg Sterling
All Eyes On Yahoo Earnings Today
Today after the stock market closes, Yahoo will report earnings. Silicon Alley Insider offers a preview based on sources cited in the NY Post: "Several sources close to Yahoo! said the company will not blow the lid off earnings, but will likely beat analysts' expectations of 9 cents a share...
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Apr. 21, 2008 at 4:57pm by Mona Elesseily
Microsoft - Three Weeks Or Else!
Since Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $44.6 billion, interesting times have been ours to enjoy here in the land of the search engines. On April 5 2008, Steve Ballmer stepped up the game by giving Yahoo! 3 weeks to make a decision on the 44.6 billion dollar offer or...
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Apr. 17, 2008 at 8:55am by Greg Sterling
GooHoo Search Ads Outsourcing Deal Moves Forward
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the "initial test" of running Google ads on Yahoo search results had "positive results" and is thus moving forward. A range of blog posts offers speculation and cynicism about the story and what it may or may not represent for the potential MicroHoo...
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Apr. 11, 2008 at 8:34am by Greg Sterling
Microsoft Still Favored To Win Yahoo, Madison Avenue Contemplates The Consolidated Online Ad Future, And Congress Gets Involved
Just in case you hadn't gotten enough news and speculation about the various potential deals surrounding MicroHoo, AOL, and News Corp. there are a flurry of articles (as one might expect) today about all this. The most interesting is probably the one in the Wall Street Journal that interviews ad...
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Apr. 10, 2008 at 8:18am by Greg Sterling
News Corp, Google, AOL, "MicroHoo" The Movie Enters A Surreal, Climactic Sequence
If MicroHoo were a movie we might be in Act III, moving quickly toward an exciting climax. It's a good movie so far because there are equally matched antagonists, unpredictable twists, a concrete deadline, and an uncertain outcome. Indeed, that outcome seems to grow increasingly uncertain amid a surreal shifting...
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Apr. 9, 2008 at 4:42pm by Danny Sullivan
Microsoft: Forget It On Paid Search Partnership, Google & Yahoo
So Yahoo's going to partner with Google for a test of search ads? Better be only a test, Microsoft seems to be saying. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith just put out a statement suggesting that any partnership would likely be opposed on regulatory grounds, as Google would get more than...
