Investor "disbelief" over Yahoo!-Microsoft fallout

Category: Online marketing

May 12th 08, 11:08

Shareholders in both Microsoft and Yahoo! are dissatisfied with the way in which takeover talks were handled, a new report indicates.

The prospective deal - which fell apart after chief executives Steve Ballmer and Jerry Yang could not agree a price - was not handled well, members of the shareholder community told the Guardian.

Following the collapse of talks between the two companies, an advertising deal between Yahoo! and Google was proclaimed a success by Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt.

And reports suggest that Microsoft is now looking to a potential takeover of Facebook, in which it bought a $240 billion (£120 billion) stake last year.

But investors in the software giant reportedly feel that they were not consulted over Mr Ballmer's initial offer of $31 (£15) per share for Yahoo!.

Meanwhile, activist hedge fund manager Eric Jackson told the newspaper that Mr Yang's actions did not reflect the wishes of Yahoo! shareholders.

"What I have heard, though, universally, is disbelief and anger at his arrogance and disconnection from reality," he said.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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