Briefly: Yahoo officially closes talks with Microsoft

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:18:07 -0700

Yahoo has announced that all official talks in the Yahoo/Microsoft acquisition have "concluded." According to the announcement, Microsoft and Yahoo discussed and ruled out all forms of aquisitions, mergers, and transaction alternatives. It further points out that Microsoft has expressed it is no longer interested in any deal, at any of the prices suggested.

The release also makes a point of highlighting the proposed spinoff of Yahoo's search business:

With respect to an acquisition of Yahoo!'s search business alone that Microsoft had proposed, Yahoo!'s Board of Directors has determined, after careful evaluation, that such a transaction would not be consistent with the company's view of the converging search and display marketplaces, would leave the company without an independent search business that it views as critical to its strategic future and would not be in the best interests of Yahoo! stockholders.

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