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Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

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Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#41

There is no legitimate business-based excuse for Yahoo! to have turned down Microsoft's offer. Yang et al had to fight tooth and nail to keep it from being executed, and that opposition was obviously based purely on ideology: not wanting to become part of the MS behemoth. I don't believe any informed person seriously thought that Yahoo!'s choice to not only forgo but actively prevent Microsoft's buyout had anything t…

Yang et al had to fight tooth and nail to keep it from being executed, and that opposition was obviously based purely on ideology: not wanting to become part of the MS behemoth

And not wanting to sorta admit defeat. That's why companies have boards, to do what is best for shareholders not for founders still thinking they got it. Yahoo's loss = Microsoft's gain.

The price goes back and forth, but right now I don't see yahoo leading anything, maybe just online answers. So it's part Marissa euphoria and part Alibaba stake.

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#42
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since the beginning of 2008, MSFT has paid ~$4/share in dividends as well, so we can't ignore those. http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/msft/dividend-history

Fair enough... but we can't exactly hold up microsoft as the paragon of good returns compared to it's cohorts (eg. AAPL, GOOG, etc).

AAPL, GOOG, etc will reach their plateau soon enough. Apple already has flat or worse y/y earnings, Google is on steroids and is ruining their brand to artificially increase their earnings by penalizing sites (advertise or no traffic) and making it all ads in certain sectors. It will last maybe another or two. What then?

The point I was making: large tech companies have different rules, they behave more like Exxon and PG then a recently IPO-ed Google or Microsoft.

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#43
post #8

Just wondering, how many people use Yahoo? It's supposed to be getting more popular but at least with my peers I don't see that trend. Is it popular outside of the USA?

They were kind of the definitive site for general information in the 90s, so many millions of people who started using the internet in the 90s got used to going there for news, sports, finance, weather, and some of their other verticals, as well as things like email. A lot of those people haven't had any good reason to switch to anything else, so that's what they use. This tracks with the way people choose offline br…

and also target the young, so future is secure. (like tumblr deal).

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They were kind of the definitive site for general information in the 90s, so many millions of people who started using the internet in the 90s got used to going there for news, sports, finance, weather, and some of their other verticals, as well as things like email. A lot of those people haven't had any good reason to switch to anything else, so that's what they use. This tracks with the way people choose offline br…

+1

LOL at creating a throwaway account b/c you're ashamed to say you use Yahoo!

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#45
post #11

Yay, let's celebrate the underperforming. I suspect many Yahoo investors would rather have had their $31 5 years ago so they could have invested it in something that would actually grow. Though, at least they've had better results than the MSFT investors.

Did you account for MSFT dividends?

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#46
post #25
post #13

The S&P 500 index was at around 1,300 at the beginning of 2008. It's at around 1,700 today -- actually, a record high. Of course, it reached as low as 700 to 800 in March 2009.

Quantitative easing is great... Mugabenomics forever! "Priceline.com became the first company listed in the S&P 500 to trade at $1,000 in the index’s 56-year history." http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/09/18/on-a-day-of-record...

Berkshire Hathaway, at $175,000 per share, would have set that record long ago, except the S&P has some fairly arbitrary rules that exclude it. Point being, stock price means nothing.

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#47
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair enough... but we can't exactly hold up microsoft as the paragon of good returns compared to it's cohorts (eg. AAPL, GOOG, etc).

AAPL, GOOG, etc will reach their plateau soon enough. Apple already has flat or worse y/y earnings, Google is on steroids and is ruining their brand to artificially increase their earnings by penalizing sites (advertise or no traffic) and making it all ads in certain sectors. It will last maybe another or two. What then? The point I was making: large tech companies have different rules, they behave more like Exxon an…

penalizing sites (advertise or no traffic)

Surprising, if true. I am interested in knowing more. Do you have some good links?

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Inflation has more to do than with overt quantitative easing. Also, share price has no direct correlation to overall valuation; you have to throw in the number of shares and multiply.

Quantitative easing = inflation.

Quantitative easing causes inflation.

Inflation does not require quantitative easing.

Re: Yahoo Shares Top $31, The Price Microsoft Offered In 2008

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quantitative easing = inflation.

Quantitative easing causes inflation. Inflation does not require quantitative easing.

Using equals was incorrect. I should have said: Quantitative easing -> inflation
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