The WSJ has reported that that long-standing rumor of a search advertising deal between Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is close to being consummated.
Yahoohas concluded talks with Microsoft without reaching a deal, and isclose to a search-advertising pact with Google. Full article comingsoon.
You can expect that a large billionaire activist investor by the name of Carl Icahn will be keying in on this before the end of the day. If Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was going to have any interest incoming back to the table, that may be turning into mere wishfulthinking depending on how in-depth this deal really will be.
Google shares are up 1% and yahoo! shares are now down 2.5% at $25.49. Perhaps Jerry Yang should watch his share price before he signs that deal.
As a reminder, some have argued that any such "ad search" deal would come under antitrust review even though it isn’t a merger.
Jon C. Ogg
June 12, 2008