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YHOO Responds: Icahn's 'Significant Misunderstanding', Google Talks Revived

Posted May 16, 2008 10:57am EDT by Aaron Task in Investing, Internet, Newsmakers, Venture Capital, M and A, IPOs
Yahoo responded to Carl Icahn's proxy fight on two fronts: directly via chairman Roy Bostock's letter and, as The NY Post describes, by "scrambling to finalize a search-advertising pact with Google."

First, the letter: Bostock claims Icahn has a "significant misunderstanding of the facts" and tries to set the corporate raider straight. Most importantly, Bostock reminds Icahn "there is no current acquisition on the table," while again reiterating that it was Microsoft's decision to break off talks, not Yahoo's. "We have been and remain willing to consider any proposal from any party," Bostock declares.

Clearly, the onus is on Icahn to bring Microsoft back to the table but "we've moved on" may not be a negotiating tactic from Redmond. (Henry and I discuss Icahn's next moves in a separate segment.)

Meanwhile, The Post's story about the Google outsourcing talks reviving raises the question of why Yahoo seemingly needs external pressure to take action?

31 Comments

Vincent
Vincent - Friday May 16, 2008 11:45AM EDT

Henry: Stay on target. You seem to change on this deal over and over again. the fact is these to guys Yang and Ballmer are hard heads. they both should be fired! The deal is good for Yahoo and Microsoft.

WILLIAMR
WILLIAMR - Friday May 16, 2008 11:46AM EDT

DOES ANYBODY REALIZE THAT IF CARL ICAHN WALKS AWAY FROM THIS OR THE DEAL GOES THROUGH HE IS GOING TO MAKE 400 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SALE OF YAHOO STOCK

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Friday May 16, 2008 11:51AM EDT

If the Microsoft merger occurred, Yahoo will only go up in the short term then drop like a rock. Microsoft is terrible with internet applications that is why Microsoft is losing money with the internet. Yahoo needs to partner wih Google to grow in the long term.

JonathanK
JonathanK - Friday May 16, 2008 11:53AM EDT

i agree wit vinman20. ballmer hasnt done much in the way of innovation. and has spent a lot of money. jerry is a stubborn pric who doesnt know a good deal when it slaps him in the face.they both need each other. they will be better off. i mean damn wtf does someone hav 2 do to slap some sense into jerry's head

Howard
Howard - Friday May 16, 2008 11:59AM EDT

All this is well above my IQ level, my pay grade and my bank balance. If I were smart enough, I'd be making money off this event instead of sitting here, reading about it.

Howard
Howard - Friday May 16, 2008 12:00PM EDT

All this is well above my IQ, my pay grade and my bank balance. If I were smart, I'd figure out a way to make some money off this event instead of sitting here, reading about it.

Howard
Howard - Friday May 16, 2008 12:00PM EDT

All this is well above my IQ, my pay grade and my bank balance. If I were smart, I'd figure out a way to make some money off this event instead of sitting here, reading about it.

Howard
Howard - Friday May 16, 2008 12:00PM EDT

All this is well above my IQ, my pay grade and my bank balance. If I were smart, I'd figure out a way to make some money off this event instead of sitting here, reading about it.

Justin
Justin - Friday May 16, 2008 12:08PM EDT

Yahoo just needs to do something as far as I'm concerned. If they don't do something to expand soon their price will drop right back down and they will be much worse off.

Michael L
Michael L - Friday May 16, 2008 12:11PM EDT

What does that actually mean that Yhoo is outsourcing to goog?

richardg
richardg - Friday May 16, 2008 12:15PM EDT

when two fools meet... Ballmer for making the offer and Yang for turning it down.

Rick D
Rick D - Friday May 16, 2008 12:17PM EDT

Evidently writing a comments is over your head too....head too....head too....head too. I say YAAAHHHHOOOO!

private
private - Friday May 16, 2008 12:20PM EDT

Hey Henry, how's that $400 AMZN doing? We remember

KurtS
KurtS - Friday May 16, 2008 12:39PM EDT

Microsoft shouldn't waste any money on buying Yahoo. These types of tech deals rarely work.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Friday May 16, 2008 12:49PM EDT

Microsoft is the WORST possible option for Yahoo - instant dead man walking...go for Google Yahoo and stop stumbling along...please

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Friday May 16, 2008 12:53PM EDT

SHORT YAHOO NOW!! AND IF YOU ARE LONG ON YAHOO; GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN. Icahn is trying to play superman, but there is no way MSFT will come back to YHOO.....its a bad, bad deal for MSFT from the word go! Of course, the only person NOT going to lose from all this drama is Icahn himself....he has already made a lot of money by "declaring" his fight for the yahoo board.

Jeff
Jeff - Friday May 16, 2008 12:55PM EDT

Henry and Aaron just don't see this correctly. Icahn want to fire the board because they botched the deal with MS. These guys are trying to make it like MS "walked away". Yang and the board pushed MS away. They let their egos get in the way and their prejudice against MS. And Yahoo has continually failed to deliver on a turn around plan. Now watch Yahoo make a hasty deal with Google, and it will have nasty termination clauses so that it would be hard for MS to acquire and unravel. Great job Jerry. I hope you're planning for your next job. Oh, and don't ask us to invest in your next venture.

RanHarley
RanHarley - Friday May 16, 2008 01:05PM EDT

I cashed out and could give a d*&^# what they do. Thanks Yahoo for the ride....Good luck to all that still sitting on the fence.

RanHarley
RanHarley - Friday May 16, 2008 01:06PM EDT

I cashed out and could give a d*&^# what they do. Thanks Yahoo for the ride....Good luck to all that still sitting on the fence.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Friday May 16, 2008 01:08PM EDT

C'mon fellows, this Icahn guy is ONLY after making some quick $$$ for himself. Remember all the oil companies such as Cities Services in Tulas, OK and others that he destroyed by falsely sympathizing with the stock holders when in reality he made lots of $$$ and the company disappear shortly after that.

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