Saturday, March 15, 2008

Microsoft and Yahoo met to discuss merger: sources | Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Senior executives from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) met on Monday to discuss Microsoft's takeover bid for the company, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The meeting was said to be the first since Microsoft made its unsolicited offer for Yahoo, worth nearly $42 billion, on January 31. Yahoo rejected the offer as inadequate last month.

The meeting was not a negotiation and no bankers were present, said one of the sources, who was not authorized to speak about the matter and thus wanted to remain anonymous.

The meeting with Microsoft is part of the company's strategy to keep all its options open, the people familiar with the matter said.

Yahoo has held talks with News Corp (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Time Warner Inc's (TWX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) AOL, other sources told Reuters earlier.

The session was intended to allow Microsoft to present its vision of a combined company, and Yahoo executives mostly listened, said the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Financial terms were not discussed and it was unclear which executives took part, the Journal said.

Microsoft and Yahoo spokesmen declined to comment.

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