Microsoft-Yahoo

Yang's power play

By Scott Moritz, writer

There may be more than money to consider in the Microsoft-Yahoo standoff.

Microsoft (MSFT) has given Yahoo a deadline of Saturday to accept its buyout offer (or, presumably, at least at start serious talks) or risk triggering a hostile takeover battle. Yahoo wants a higher offer -- a demand that Microsoft has so far rebuffed.

But the focus on price may be missing a key subtlety behind the impasse.

One possible stumbling MORE

Justice probes Yahoo-Google deal

Microsoft (MSFT) signaled its ready to play hardball with Yahoo (YHOO) in its bid to acquire the Internet giant, and antitrust regulators are scrutinizing a trial advertising partnership that Google (GOOG) and Yahoo recently struck.

Microsoft put some substance behind its threat to take its three-month-old buyout offer to Yahoo shareholders by naming 13 people as potential candidates to the company's board, according to Thursday's The Wall Street Journal.

The list includes former Nextel Partners CEO John Chapple; Edward Meyer, former MORE

Microsoft and Yahoo have common foe

By Scott Moritz, writer

The yelling phase of the proposed Microsoft/Yahoo merger got a bit louder as Yahoo (YHOO) turned in good numbers ahead of the deal negotiation deadline.

In the wake of a solid first quarter performance from Yahoo Tuesday, Microsoft (MSFT) chief Steve Ballmer said his company was standing pat on its original $31 a share unsolicited takeover offer. Microsoft has given Yahoo until Saturday to come to the table with MORE

Yahoo launches new mobile services

By Michal Lev-Ram

LAS VEGAS — At a moment when Yahoo desperately needs to wow investors, the company unveiled a handful of enhancements to its mobile search service that are also being offered by rivals Google and Microsoft.

The announcement, made Wednesday at the CTIA wireless show in Las Vegas, includes a new voice-enabled search function that allows consumers to look up restaurants and websites by speaking into the phone. This could MORE

Microsoft willing to wait on Yahoo

By Scott Moritz

In the absence of a bidding war for Yahoo! (YHOO), Microsoft (MSFT) stands pat on its original $42 billion buyout offer.

Seeing no reason to bid against itself, Microsoft looks willing to wait it out, according to a report Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The news comes two weeks after Yahoo argued that it deserved a higher bid in a 37-page presentation that highlighted strong cash flow projections, MORE

Yahoo shares rise on analyst report

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Shares of Yahoo (YHOO) rose 3% to $28.35 on Tuesday afternoon after Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney raised Yahoo's stock from "hold" to "buy."

Mahaney, who has consistently said that a merger is likely, suggests that Microsoft raise its offer from $31 to $34 a share. "We believe buying Yahoo shares here provides an attractive return," he wrote. "We think the strategic value of Yahoo and Microsoft is very significant."

Mahaney MORE

Alibaba wants to buy out Yahoo's shares

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Alibaba Group, the Chinese Internet giant that is part-owned by Yahoo, is reportedly in advanced talks with investors to buy back the shares owned by Yahoo, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Concerns of a Microsoft (MSFT) takeover have prompted Alibaba to look for possible buyers as the company prepares to maintain its independence. While Alibaba is not pushing for a Microsoft sale, the company believes it can MORE

Microsoft buys another online ad company

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Microsoft on Friday bought Rapt, a San Francisco-based online ad management firm, for an undisclosed sum. The move came three days after Google cleared its $3.1 billion acquisition of the ad serving company DoubleClick.

Both acquisitions are a sign of the heated battle between the search giant and the software giant for a share of the growing display advertising market. Microsoft (MSFT) has made aggressive moves into that market MORE

EC approval of Google-DoubleClick deal near

By Yi-Wyn Yen

European regulators are expected to clear Google's $3.1 billion purchase of online ad company DoubleClick, as early as Tuesday.

Despite Google's dominance in online advertising, which will likely increase once it acquires DoubleClick, regulators argue there's still plenty of room for competition in the nascent market. Microsoft hopes to challenge Google by combining forces with Yahoo. However, a potential Microhoo may run into resistance from European regulators who view MORE

Yahoo's big gamble

By Yi-Wyn Yen

It's been more than a month since Microsoft announced its initial bid to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion. That's led to a lot of speculations and rumors about what is and isn't happening. But one thing is certain. Yahoo isn't ready to shake hands with Microsoft yet.

Wall Street widely believes that a marriage between the two Internet frienemies is inevitable, but Yahoo (YHOO) says it needs more time MORE