A Yahoo Proxy Contest: How Good Are Microsoft’s Chances?
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft refuses to boost its Yahoo bid, valued at $31 a share a few weeks
| ago. It refuses so thoroughly, in fact, that the Redmond, Wash., software
| giant may be willing to wage a proxy battle to oust Yahoo’s board, according
| to this report. (To do that, Microsoft must nominate a new slate of directors
| for Yahoo within the next three weeks).
`----
http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/02/19/a-yahoo-proxy-contest-how-good-are-microsofts-chances/?mod=yahoo_hs
Microsoft Usually Doesn’t Do This Sort of Thing. Except It Does. All The Time.
,----[ Quote ]
| When Microsoft proposed its $31 a share takeover of Yahoo, the deal’s rich
| 61% one-day premium seemed a necessary part of the audacious bid: at a price
| like that, who could refuse?
`----
http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/02/15/microsoft-usually-doesnt-do-this-sort-of-thing-except-it-does-all-the-time/?mod=yahoo_hs
How Yahoo went from Web star to Microsoft prey
,----[ Quote ]
| A desperate, expensive bid to beat Google; turf wars among divisions
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/how-yahoo-went-web-star/story.aspx?guid=%7BB4CA2BEB%2D6DCC%2D41E6%2D871D%2DEC0DB6F67DC4%7D&siteid=yhoof
http://tinyurl.com/34uso2
Microsoft used the same tricks against XenSource, for all I can tell. They
invited the company to reside next to Redmond's headquarters, put some
ex-Softies in positions of power and then used the Citrix proxy to acquire
Xen, escaping the FTC and the GPL by doing so.
Surely Microsoft sponsors (bribes) enough politicians to have this corrupt
hijacking of a company go on without intervention.
Yahoo is already building safety nets. It's truly like war and poor Yahoo is
afraid.
Related:
Microsoft to Authorize Proxy Fight at Yahoo
,----[ Quote ]
| In an escalation of its fight for Yahoo, Microsoft will authorize a proxy
| fight at the Internet company this week, people briefed on the matter told
| DealBook. Unless Yahoo quickly reverses course and enters into talks,
| Microsoft would then seek to nominate a slate of directors to Yahoo’s board
| by March 13, the final deadline for nominations, and pursue a lengthy
| campaign to oust the board.
`----
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/microsoft-to-authorize-proxy-fight-at-yahoo/index.html?hp
Why Microsoft Should Fret
,----[ Quote ]
| But what if at stake in the battle isn't just Microsoft's position in selling
| ads, but the very survival of its core software business? Microsoft would
| never admit that so much is on the line.
`----
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277476716860601.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo
Microsoft to take case to Yahoo shareholders: report
,----[ Quote ]
| The board believes Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is trying to take advantage
| of some recent weakness in Yahoo's share price in order to "steal" the
| company, the report said.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/microsoft-take-case-yahoo-shareholders/story.aspx?guid=%7B7F963245%2D5B26%2D4A77%2D8D18%2D4D2122A9D4AE%7D&siteid=yhoof
http://tinyurl.com/3dpl6n
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is threatening to launch a boardroom coup at Yahoo! within six
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| weeks if the internet search engine fails to accept its $45 billion (£23
| billion) hostile takeover proposal or start serious merger talks, The Times
| has learned.
`----
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3300964.ece?EMC-Bltn=LOXCF1
Options Before Microsoft: Upping Bid; Tender Offer; Hostile Takeover; Pressure
Tactics
,----[ Quote ]
| Hostile board overthrow: This would be the most contentious, and Microsoft
| has indicated its willingness to go through with this if need be: it could
| seek to oust Yahoo's board at its next election; it would have until March 13
| to nominate a new slate of directors. Yahoo has taken "poison pill"
| provisions, and Microsoft have to oust the board to get past these
| provisions.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/paidcontent/080209/1_319741_id.html?.v=1
Microsoft Replies To Yahoo Rejection
,----[ Quote ]
| The response to Yahoo's "no thanks" to a $44.6 billion acquisition held the
| not-so-subtle threat of a more aggressive takeover action by Microsoft.
|
| [...]
|
| "The Yahoo response does not change our belief in the strategic and financial
| merits of our proposal. As we have said previously, Microsoft reserves the
| right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are
| provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal,"
| Microsoft said in their statement.
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/02/11/microsoft-replies-to-yahoo-rejection
Microsoft rejects Yahoo! rejection
,----[ Quote ]
| Steve Ballmer still wants to swallow Jerry Yang's company.
`----
http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2008/02/11/microsoft_still_wants_yahoo/
Microsoft and the American way
,----[ Quote ]
| An interesting side-note on the potential Yahoo-Microsoft deal: Microsoft has
| only $17B in cash/liquid reserves, but has bid $44.6B for Yahoo.
`----
http://warpedvisions.org/2008/02/03/microsoft-and-the-american-way/
Was Vista a disaster for Microsoft?
,----[ Quote ]
| Recently Microsoft posted their profits for 2007. Despite Vista being one of
| the worst disasters to hit the computer systems markets since Windows ME,
| Microsoft seemed to come out way ahead... or did they?
|
| Profits don't always tell the full story about how a company performs, and
| I'm not talking about Enron.
`----
http://zerias.blogspot.com/2008/01/was-vista-disaster-for-microsoft.html
Dueling Fools: Microsoft Bear
,----[ Quote ]
| You don't need to watch the 'I'm a Mac, I'm a PC' commercials to see that
| Microsoft is taking a beating. You see it in the company's financials where
| its online unit, incredibly, is operating at a loss; overheating Xbox 360
| consoles find the company taking a huge warranty hit for a system losing
| market share to the Wii; and the upgrade wave of its flagship operating
| system has been more of a ripple than a tsunami. That last point is
| important. This was supposed to be Microsoft's final feast, the major last
| hurrah for its Windows Vista operating entry and its Office 2007 suite of
| applications before the inevitable embrace of cheaper open source operating
| systems and Web-based apps... In fact, even Microsoft will tell you that its
| fortunes peaked several months ago.
`----
http://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/01/23/microsoft-bear-argument.aspx
A Dozen Stocks For '07
,----[ Quote ]
| Millen also thinks $36 billion in planned share buybacks
| will help the stock.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/05/stocks-markets-investing-pf-ii-cz_ag_1205stockpicks.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/yjzfbo
Microsoft counts on Vista to recharge stagnant stock
,----[ Quote ]
| There was a time in the 1990s when shares of Microsoft stock seemed to
| double every couple of years. 1996: college for the kids. 1998: a place
| on Whidbey. 1999: early retirement.
|
| Times have changed.
`----
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003437957_vista19.html
Commentary: Microsoft needs more than just buybacks to lift its shares
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft shares, which have been dormant for the last few years,
| have been looking up over the last couple months. The Dow industrials
| component has gained about 20% since hitting a 4-year low of $21.46 o
| June 13.
|
| To help move things along, Microsoft not only launched a $40 billion
| stock repurchase program that lasts through 2011, the company also said
| its previously announced 4-year, $30 billion stock buyback program was
| completed in just 2 years.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B685EFB89%2D5791%2D4E8B%2DAD6A%2D9688F5B6012A%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo
Software Notebook: Microsoft's cash pile isn't what it used to be
,----[ Quote ]
| But Microsoft has taken a series of steps to reduce its cash
| balance. Specifically, by Microsoft's count, the company has
| paid out nearly $100 billion through dividends and repurchasing
| its own stock in the past five years.
`----
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309852_software02.html
Microsoft Hides Its Mobile and Business Apps Divisions
,----[ Quote ]
| The company is folding its two worst-performing divisions -- Microsoft
| Business Solutions (its business applications unit) and its Mobile and
| Embedded units -- into the Microsoft Business Division and Microsoft Home
| and Entertainment units, respectively.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1990243,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
How Much is Too Much?
,----[ Summary ]
| Microsoft says it will stick with Xbox. But with years of heavy losses
| behind it, the pressure's on for the gaming division to make good
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2006/id20061013_283856.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories
http://tinyurl.com/yxdr4j
Microsoft stoic despite massive losses
,----[ Quote ]
| If you were to judge by the PR rhetoric, you'd think the 360 was
| an unstoppable commercial juggernaut. As usual though, PR lies.
`----
http://www.gamerscan.com/articles/06/10/09/microsofts.massive.losses/
The Secret Failures of Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| There is no choice involved; even most Linux users are forced to pay for a
| Microsoft license in order to obtain a brand name PC.
|
| [...]
|
| They are bound to an oath to swear allegiance to Windows XP Professional,
| and must never mention Linux and Windows in the same breath. If they step
| out of line in any way, Microsoft dramatically raises their OEM licensing
| fees and sends them to indoctrination camp, where they face chairs being
| hurled at them by angry monkeys.
|
| [...]
|
| Why do Windows enthusiasts exibit much hostility to an obvious fact?
| Because if they admit that 80% of the company's revenues come entirely
| from an OEM tax, and not from any choice on the part of consumers...
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft's decade of investments in WinCE and Windows Mobile
| Smartphones have only barely matched the market share of Palm, which
| itself is a run down company out of ideas. Microsoft couldn't
| out-maneuver the incompetent Palm within a decade of trying; now both
| are ineffectually fighting over the dying PDA industry while Linux and
| Symbian slaughter them in the smartphone arena:
|
| Symbian 75%; Linux 14%; Microsoft 5%; Palm 5%.
|
| [...]
|
| (many more failures listed)
`----
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Q4.06/2E6D9BB2-FE1B-4556-8389-67BD581FBCCC.html
Wis. Bill to Require Tax Loophole Data
,----[ Quote ]
| Wisconsin Bill Would Require More Reporting on Tax Loopholes
|
| [...]
|
| A message left with Microsoft was not immediately returned.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071219/wi_corporate_taxes.html?.v=4
Ecuador Tax Agency Closes Microsoft Branch Offices For 7 Days
,----[ Quote ]
| "We have twice requested balances, payment reports and complete tax
| information, but the company hasn't given it to us, so in accordance with our
| laws we have proceeded with the closure," the SRI official in charge of the
| proceeding said.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200710041610DOWJONESDJONLINE000810_FORTUNE5.htm
Microsoft Office raid in Hungary
,----[ Quote ]
| "Such behavior could lead to the exclusion of competitive products from
| the market and violate European Union rules, according to the authority
| known as the GVH."
`----
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3957835.html
Microsoft's past stock options practice poses questions
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft in 1999 announced that it would end a policy of awarding
| options at monthly lows and said it would take a $217 million charge,
| though many details of that discontinued practice haven't been widely
| known, The Wall Street Journal said Friday.
|
| Those details raise questions about how Microsoft began the practice,
| what prompted the company to end it and whether the way the options
| were dated--at 30-day lows the month after they were
| granted--influenced other companies, it said.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6084617.html
Microsoft's Bach sold more stock before Xbox news
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp. executive Robbie Bach sold $3 million more in company stock
| during the period leading up to an announcement about a costly flaw in its
| Xbox video game console than previously reported, according to a filing
| Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/microsofts-bach-sold-additional-stock/story.aspx?guid=%7BBECA3A50-EF33-4161-A111-A43BDC8B0462%7D&siteid=yhoof
|
|
