Microsoft Bids $44.6 Billion For Yahoo

The news is everywhere this morning about Microsoft's $44.6B offer to buy Yahoo. The offer represents $31 a share, a 62% premium over Thursday's closing price; and Yahoo's stock price has been rising in after-hours trading. Microsoft has been making overtures to Yahoo since 2006, according to the CNet article, including a buyout offer last February that was rebuffed. Mediapost.com has some perspective on the deal from the point of view of ads and eyeballs. Such an acquisition, which would be Microsoft's largest by far — it bought Aquantive last year for $6 billion — would need approval by US and EU authorities. A European Commission spokesman declined to comment.

Comments

Re:Very odd

[dkleinsc]

I think they figure that at least in the US they have a better shot of doing this now than with a President Obama or Clinton in charge.

Going to Hotmail Hell

[Doc Ruby]

If MS is allowed to buy Yahoo to compete with Google, they will screw up Yahoo as badly as they screwed up Hotmail when they bought that attempt to compete with AOL.

Except this time Google is actually a strong, smart company, not just a stock play built on a mountain of email addresses. So Google will find it easier to compete with both Microsoft and Yahoo.

This merger is a terrible move towards monopoly. Even if this time it's not a Microsoft monopoly growing, but rather Microsoft thinning out competition to move a competitor closer to monopoly when Microsoft loses.

Not 44.6 billions, just 44600 millions...

[leonbloy]

... here (Argentina). When you use the word "Billion" for a global audience, please be aware that is means different things in different countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales

Related to 700 MHZ Spectrum Auction?

[cheesethegreat]

Google manages to achieve the open standard on the new network which it has been gunning for, allowing it to put into action plans and hardware/software sales which it has no doubt been designing and planning for months. The next day, Microsoft (a major software competitor for mobile devices) bids on Yahoo (a major internet portal competitor versus Google).

Everyone who thinks this is a coincidence, please raise your hand.

*looks around*

Huh...nobody did.

Re:Very odd

[R3d Jack]

Get a life. Everyone calls it M$. If that causes you to miss the point, you wouldn't be the point anyway.

Re:nice to see

[stevencbrown]

You're Indian?

You Took Eeerrrr Jeeeebbbbs!

I wouldn't pay 50 cents for Yahoo

[afabbro]

$45 billion? I would not pay $45 billion for Yahoo. I wouldn't pay 50 cents for Yahoo. Does anyone still use Yahoo? Yes, sure, some people use it for their home page, but really, for this to make sense, Yahoo would have to throw off $9 billion a year in profit (using a ballpark 20%). Yahoo doesn't make anything like that. I didn't even look and I know it's true. And of course, Yahoo has zero growth prospects.

"In a conference call Friday morning, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer indicated he won.t take no for an answer after Yahoo rebuffed takeover overtures a year ago."

Sweet! A $45 billion dead asset and lots of headaches on Microsoft's hands. For those of us who aren't Microsoft fans, this is great news.

Re:Google cannot be undersold

[Breakfast Pants]

I watched the whole thing and he never mentions the auction model they use. Thanks a lot.