Microsoft May Sweeten Offer for Yahoo After Discussions Pick Up
>> From bloomberg.com: [QUOTE] Microsoft Corp., closing in on the biggest acquisition in its 33-year history, may seek to end an impasse with Yahoo! Inc.'s board by raising its takeover offer, a person familiar with the matter said.
Talks intensified this week after Yahoo spent three months hunting for alternatives to the deal. The original cash-and-stock bid of $31 a share, or $44.6 billion, has fallen to $29.40 a share because of Microsoft's declining stock price.
A higher offer may win over Yahoo's board, eliminating the need for Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer to go to shareholders with a hostile offer, which might have spurred an employee exodus. A deal also may halt Yahoo's efforts to forge an online advertising partnership with rival GoogleInc. [/QUOTE]
