Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been talking about Yahoo again. According to MarketWatch, Ballmer said the deal would still “make sense economically.”
You may recall that Yahoo turned down an offer of $33-a-share from Microsoft shortly before agreeing to the infamous search advertising deal with Google, which is still pending a federal investigation into antitrust issues. Microsoft was not pleased with the way that went down, and there has been a bitterness in the air ever since (ok, that bitterness was probably already there [particularly with Google]). Google even started accusing Microsoft of fanning the flames of controversy to keep the Yahoo-Google deal from happening.
Yahoo’s stock has of course been facing some trouble of epic proportions, sliding down below $12 at one point. Ballmer says that Yahoo “probably thinks its still worth as least as much today” as it was when they turned down Microsoft’s offer.
“Now there’s no chance Microsoft would come back with the old offer,” says Joe Wesenhal of Silicon Alley Insider. “And this still isn’t an indication that Microsoft is still interested at any price.”
Meanwhile, ValleyWag received word that Yahoo intends to cut 3,500 jobs, “chiefly in sales and finance”, on December 10th. Yahoo shares did rise 9% in early trading today though.
Update: To go ahead and squash any speculation, Microsoft issued a press release simply saying: “Our position hasn’t changed. Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo!; there are no discussions between the companies.”
