Description: With CEO Bartz gone, the board weighs sales of assets in Asia Source: Businessweek.com Date: 09/08/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/yahoos-revolving-door-spins-again-09072011.html Questions for discussion: Describe the financial issues facing Yahoo!. Do you think Yahoo management erred by declining the merger offer with Microsoft? Would a merger or acquisition help solve some of the firm’s problems? If so,… Read more »
Posts Tagged: M&A
Apple Without CEO Jobs Gives Cook $28 Billion to Deal: Real M&A
Description:Â Without Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. may start to embrace dealmaking after spending less on acquisitions than any of its biggest competitors. Source:Â Businessweek.com Date: 08/26/2011 Link:Â http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-26/apple-without-ceo-jobs-gives-cook-28-billion-to-deal-real-m-a.html Questions for discussion: Do you think Apple can continue the same level of growth without Steve Jobs as CEO? What sorts of acquisitions do you think Apple… Read more »
HP Said to Plan Autonomy Purchase, PC Spinoff
Description: Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s largest computer maker, is in talks to buy Autonomy Corp. for about $10 billion and plans to spin off its personal-computer business, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Autonomy confirmed it is in talks with Hewlett-Packard in a statement. Cory Johnson reports on Bloomberg Television’s “Fast Forward.” (Source:… Read more »
RIM Gains 100% in Sale Value on Google-Motorola Tie: Real M&A
Description: The biggest wave of deals for mobile-phone assets in more than a decade may help Research In Motion Ltd.’s shareholders almost double their money in a sale. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 08/19/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-19/rim-gains-100-in-sale-value-on-google-motorola-tie-real-m-a.html Questions for discussion: What are the reasons given for the higher valuation of RIM? Do you agree with the assessment? What… Read more »
Google rescues a potential falling star
Description: There’s a good chance that Google Inc. overpaid for Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., given that the premium was 63% in an overall stock market looking for direction. Also, the acquired company’s competitive position was far from certain, especially given the fickle nature of the market for smartphones. Source: Marketwatch.com Date: 08/18/2011 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/google-rescues-a-potential-falling-star-2011-08-18?siteid=nwtwk Questions… Read more »
Is ING Direct up for grabs?
Description: Ally, CIT, and GE could be in the running to takeover the online banking company, ING Direct. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 06/07/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/06/07/mkts_mid_ing.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think this is a good fit for GE? Why would ING be selling this division?
LinkedIn CEO: Why we’re so valuable
Description: CEO Jeff Weiner says LinkedIn’s “exclusive focus on professionals” is what makes his company’s social platform so valuable to investors. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 05/20/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/05/20/n_linkedin_ceo.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think LinkedIn is worth the IPO price? What revenue streams are available to the firm? What types of acquisitions would… Read more »
Microsoft’s Skype call
Description: Microsoft agrees to buy Skype for $8.5 billion to gain a bigger presence on the Internet, where Bing and MSN have been losing money. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 05/11/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/05/10/mkts_skype0510.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think this is a good fit for both companies? How can Microsoft leverage the value of… Read more »
The Class That Built Apps, and Fortunes
Description: ALL right, class, here’s your homework assignment: Devise an app. Get people to use it. Repeat. That was the task for some Stanford students in the fall of 2007, in what became known here as the “FacebookClass.†No one expected what happened next. The students ended up getting millions of users for free apps… Read more »
Setback in Rosneft Deal Suggests BP Misread Russia
Description: For major oil companies these days, geopolitical acumen is as essential as deepwater engineering. Just ask the British oil giant BP. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/bp-rosneft-deal-faces-another-setback/?ref=business Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about international deals and risks? How can businesses mitigate their risks?
