Microsoft Offers $44.6B for Yahoo

[El-Basha]

Possible .....Deal.....
Microsoft not bidding for whole company,looking at other deals with Yahoo

Other deals with Yahoo

May 21, 2008 4:50 PM ET advertisement

Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Wednesday the company doesn't plan to bid on Yahoo Inc. as a whole but is looking at other possible deals with the search engine company.

At the launch of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) new research and development center in Israel, Ballmer said his company is "trying to have discussions about deals with Yahoo that might create value, but not a whole acquisition of the company."

Microsoft walked away earlier this month from its offer to buy Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) for $33 a share, or about $47.5 billion. Yahoo said it would take a minimum of $37 a share to seal the deal.

Reuters reported earlier this week that Microsoft countered with another proposal to buy Yahoo's search business and take a minority stake in the company.

Investor Carl Icahn has also begun a proxy battle to force a sale, and has compiled a slate of directors he wants to take over the company