MarketingVOX: Yahoo reportedly approached Time Warner recently about buying AOL; meanwhile, some analysts are speculating that it would make just as much sense if Yahoo itself were acquired.
Both Yahoo and Time Warner have apparently denied any direct talks, with a spokesman for the AOL parent saying “Time Warner has a new strategy for AOL and is not contemplating any deals,” according to Fortune magazine (via Seeking Alpha). Yahoo shares are down 35 percent this year, and CEO Terry Semel is under pressure from shareholders to make a move, possibly an acquisition like Google’s YouTube buy.
Likely options available to Yahoo, according to Fortune, include a major acquisition, possibly AOL or Facebook; being acquired by Microsoft; merging with eBay; keep trying to improve the return on its existing businesses.
Meanwhile, Justin Post, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, upgraded his rating on Yahoo to Buy from Neutral, citing significant opportunity for increase revenue from its search offerings, reports Seeking Alpha.
He is also quoted as saying Yahoo’s assets “would be compelling for Microsoft (MSFT) or a large media conglomerate looking to build a meaningful online presence.”
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