Yahoo Inc rose in German trading after the Wall Street Journal said Microsoft Corp approached media companies about teaming up for a deal that would lead to a breakup of the Internet company.
Yahoo shares added 3.5 percent to the equivalent of US$20.90 as of 9:06am in Frankfurt from the close of US$20.20 in US trading on Tuesday. Microsoft talked with Time Warner Inc, News Corp and others, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the negotiations.
The talks may be preliminary and may not lead to a deal with Yahoo, the newspaper said.
Yahoo ended talks about a combination with Microsoft last month.
After Microsoft’s initial bid in January, Yahoo explored alternatives, which included talks in February with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, a person with knowledge of the discussions said at the time.
Murdoch said in March he wouldn’t challenge Microsoft’s attempt to purchase Yahoo.
“I’m not surprised that these talks are going on,” said Victor Yip, a technology analyst at UOB-Kay Hian Ltd in Hong Kong. “Companies like Microsoft that are cash rich are always thinking about how they can increase market share or increase revenue. They obviously see some synergies there.”
Previously, the Redmond, Washington-based software company suggested an arrangement where it would buy Yahoo’s search operations, the Journal said.
Another company, such as Time Warner’s AOL or News Corp’s MySpace, would combine with the rest of Yahoo, the newspaper said. News Corp owns the Wall Street Journal.
Microsoft representatives also met investor Carl Icahn, who is seeking to gain control of Yahoo’s board, to encourage him in his proxy battle, the newspaper reported.
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS