This week’s chatter that Microsoft may have approached Facebook to discuss a possible takeover has created quite a buzz. But maybe Microsoft should be inquiring about getting a partial rebate on its $240 million investment instead.
Microsoft’s October purchase of a 1.6 percent Facebook stake implicitly valued the social-networking Web site at $15 billion. Even at the time, some people questioned such an eye-popping valuation. But as the months have passed, the number is looking even more bubbly. And not just to us: Several Web sites this week have questioned the value implied by Microsoft’s Facebook deal. On Friday, PEHub’s Dan Primack suggested it might be “one of the worst venture capital deals of all time.”
First, a big caveat: It’s hard to gauge how much Facebook is worth using traditional methods, because it is not a public company and gives out little in the way of performance data.
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/did-microsoft-overpay-for-facebook/?ref=technology
Proves even more that Microsoft was just so excited about doing a deal in some from or another that they didn't even research this one enough. They're just going on a shopping spree for stakes in companies. El Stupido's
Friday, May 9, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Microsoft and Facebook
Microsoft has been speaking with social networking giant Facebook about a possible acquisition, according to reports.
The Wall Street Journal cited a source close to Microsoft who claimed that members of its financial team had been in contact with Facebook to "gauge the company's willingness" to sell.
A Microsoft spokesperson told vnunet.com that the company would not be commenting on the report.
News of the talks comes just days after Microsoft called off its pursuit of Yahoo. The two companies had spent nearly three months in a very public saga that quickly turned from an acquisition offer to a hostile takeover threat.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2216137/microsoft-turns-facebook
Microsoft needs to calm down. They are starting to seem like a kid with birthday money that just wants something new in it's possession. I think they should let all the smoke from the Yahoo thing settle first, and then re-evaluate it's strategies.
The Wall Street Journal cited a source close to Microsoft who claimed that members of its financial team had been in contact with Facebook to "gauge the company's willingness" to sell.
A Microsoft spokesperson told vnunet.com that the company would not be commenting on the report.
News of the talks comes just days after Microsoft called off its pursuit of Yahoo. The two companies had spent nearly three months in a very public saga that quickly turned from an acquisition offer to a hostile takeover threat.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2216137/microsoft-turns-facebook
Microsoft needs to calm down. They are starting to seem like a kid with birthday money that just wants something new in it's possession. I think they should let all the smoke from the Yahoo thing settle first, and then re-evaluate it's strategies.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Yahoo Suits Widen
Lawyers representing two public pension funds said late Monday they will broaden the scope of a consolidated class action lawsuit against Yahoo Inc. chief executive Jerry Yang and other members of the board to include "thwarting" the merger proposal by Microsoft Corp.
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and Bouchard Margules & Friedlander, P.A. -- the court-appointed co-lead counsel for the proposed class of all shareholders in the suit against Sunnyvale-based Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) -- said the suit is "to obtain redress for the Yahoo directors' breach of their fiduciary duties."
The case is pending in the Court of Chancery for the State of Delaware and plaintiffs are the Police & Fire Retirement System of the city of Detroit and the General Retirement System of the city of Detroit.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/05/05/daily27.html
Yahoo's going to need that $47.5 billion dollars to pay all of these plaintiffs
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and Bouchard Margules & Friedlander, P.A. -- the court-appointed co-lead counsel for the proposed class of all shareholders in the suit against Sunnyvale-based Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) -- said the suit is "to obtain redress for the Yahoo directors' breach of their fiduciary duties."
The case is pending in the Court of Chancery for the State of Delaware and plaintiffs are the Police & Fire Retirement System of the city of Detroit and the General Retirement System of the city of Detroit.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/05/05/daily27.html
Yahoo's going to need that $47.5 billion dollars to pay all of these plaintiffs
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Microsoft is expected to announce Tuesday in Seoul, South Korea, that it will develop a version of its Microsoft Auto software for the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world’s fifth-largest automaker.
Microsoft already has a deal with the Ford Motor Company for its Sync system, which uses voice activation technology to operate cellphones and play digital music.
With both Ford and Hyundai as customers, Microsoft’s software could potentially be put into more than eight million vehicles worldwide each year. Its competitors include OnStar from General Motors, Johnson Controls and QNX Software Systems from Harman International.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/technology/06auto.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=business&adxnnlx=1210350528-79q6EX8G/qkD7koFafUntA&oref=slogin
Microsoft is slowly becoming the company of life. They're reaching into our homes, our pockets, our hands, our classrooms, and now our cars. Still far behind Apple yes, but at least their a competitor
Microsoft already has a deal with the Ford Motor Company for its Sync system, which uses voice activation technology to operate cellphones and play digital music.
With both Ford and Hyundai as customers, Microsoft’s software could potentially be put into more than eight million vehicles worldwide each year. Its competitors include OnStar from General Motors, Johnson Controls and QNX Software Systems from Harman International.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/technology/06auto.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=business&adxnnlx=1210350528-79q6EX8G/qkD7koFafUntA&oref=slogin
Microsoft is slowly becoming the company of life. They're reaching into our homes, our pockets, our hands, our classrooms, and now our cars. Still far behind Apple yes, but at least their a competitor
Monday, May 5, 2008
Lawsuits Ahead for Yahoo
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc likely faces a flood of shareholder lawsuits for rejecting a $47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft Corp, even if investors find holding the company responsible to be an uphill battle.
Microsoft pulled its sweetened $33-per-share offer on Saturday because the Internet company was holding out for $37 per share, even though Microsoft's price was more than 70 percent above where Yahoo shares were trading before the takeover battle started more than three months ago.
"I think it's pretty hard for the Yahoo board to turn down $33 when they've shown no ability to turn around their stock price," said Stuart Grant, managing director at Grant & Eisenhofer, a law firm that specializes in bringing investor lawsuits.
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN0434026820080505
Here we go with the lawsuit talks and although I was opposed for Microsoft making the deal, I simply cannot understand why Yahoo did not accept it. Too much ego?
Microsoft pulled its sweetened $33-per-share offer on Saturday because the Internet company was holding out for $37 per share, even though Microsoft's price was more than 70 percent above where Yahoo shares were trading before the takeover battle started more than three months ago.
"I think it's pretty hard for the Yahoo board to turn down $33 when they've shown no ability to turn around their stock price," said Stuart Grant, managing director at Grant & Eisenhofer, a law firm that specializes in bringing investor lawsuits.
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN0434026820080505
Here we go with the lawsuit talks and although I was opposed for Microsoft making the deal, I simply cannot understand why Yahoo did not accept it. Too much ego?
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Yahoo Set to Plunge
Yahoo shares are set to tumble today after its dismissal of an improved $46.5bn (£23.6bn) takeover approach from Microsoft prompted the software giant to walk away.
Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, said Microsoft had pulled its $33-a-share offer because Yahoo's demand for $37 made no sense. The move ended three months of discussions and increasingly bitter public statements from each side.
Analysts said Yahoo had overplayed its hand and predicted a fall of up to 30 per cent in the web-search company's share price when the Nasdaq index opens today. The stock jumped almost 7 per cent to $28.67 on Friday as hopes of a deal between the two companies rose. The shares have gained 49 per cent since Microsoft's original approach was announced on 1 February
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/yahoo-set-to-plunge-after-microsofts-46bn-bid-is-withdrawn-821202.html
THANK GOD THE WAR IS OVER......I'm curious to see what the aftermath is going to be now...where is Microsoft headed from here? how deep into the Google partnership will Yahoo dive in? and will the heads of Yahoo face any backlash from owners if the company does go south from here.
Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, said Microsoft had pulled its $33-a-share offer because Yahoo's demand for $37 made no sense. The move ended three months of discussions and increasingly bitter public statements from each side.
Analysts said Yahoo had overplayed its hand and predicted a fall of up to 30 per cent in the web-search company's share price when the Nasdaq index opens today. The stock jumped almost 7 per cent to $28.67 on Friday as hopes of a deal between the two companies rose. The shares have gained 49 per cent since Microsoft's original approach was announced on 1 February
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/yahoo-set-to-plunge-after-microsofts-46bn-bid-is-withdrawn-821202.html
THANK GOD THE WAR IS OVER......I'm curious to see what the aftermath is going to be now...where is Microsoft headed from here? how deep into the Google partnership will Yahoo dive in? and will the heads of Yahoo face any backlash from owners if the company does go south from here.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Microsoft Can Do Without Yahoo
SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft can build a competitive online advertising business without Yahoo but it "could just take more time," CEO Steve Ballmer told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Friday.
The comment came as analysts and industry watchers awaited an imminent announcement on Microsoft's next move in its unresolved quest to acquire Yahoo as part of a strategy to compete with Internet advertising king Google.
Ballmer declined to say how Microsoft would react to Yahoo's rejection of its unsolicited $44.6 billion bid or when the company would announce a decision.
"With the right circumstances it'll happen. Without the right circumstances it won't happen," Ballmer told the Journal.
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3005118.cms
Today's news was filled with headlines about the Yahoo-Microsoft deal, so as tired as I am writing about this cat-and-mouse game, I have no choice. I have to wonder though, if this whole ordeal will hurt Microsoft's chance in the future of mounting a hostile takeover. Will anyone take them serious? I certainly wouldn't
The comment came as analysts and industry watchers awaited an imminent announcement on Microsoft's next move in its unresolved quest to acquire Yahoo as part of a strategy to compete with Internet advertising king Google.
Ballmer declined to say how Microsoft would react to Yahoo's rejection of its unsolicited $44.6 billion bid or when the company would announce a decision.
"With the right circumstances it'll happen. Without the right circumstances it won't happen," Ballmer told the Journal.
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3005118.cms
Today's news was filled with headlines about the Yahoo-Microsoft deal, so as tired as I am writing about this cat-and-mouse game, I have no choice. I have to wonder though, if this whole ordeal will hurt Microsoft's chance in the future of mounting a hostile takeover. Will anyone take them serious? I certainly wouldn't
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