Is It Really Over? Microsoft Pulls Yahoo Offer

This is one that I really thought would happen. I didn’t think it would happen easily or exactly quickly, but I thought it would eventually get approved and move forward.

Part of me thinks this could still be in the overall strategy though. The YHOO stock price has already dropped to $24 from it’s 52-week high of $34.

What do you think? Could it be that Microsoft will come back in a few weeks or a couple of months and offer a little less than their original offer, getting Yahoo! for an even greater deal through an official hostile takeover? Steve Ballmer has said no, but people change their minds frequently. Saying no strongly could help generate the drop in stock price they’re really looking for in the deal.

Here’s some other current news coverage of the deal from ZDNet:

• Why Yahoo’s ad inventory is so important to Microsoft
• Microsoft takes its ball and leaves Yahoo on the Web 2.0 playground
• Microsoft walks: Five reasons why it’s a good move

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