Microsoft Discussing Transaction With Yahoo Again, Not Necessarily A Sale

With Carl Icahn pushing to get the two sides back into talks, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has issued a statement on where it stands with Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO). It’s a bit cryptic: The company says it has proposed an “alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo! but not an acquisition of all of Yahoo!” The purpose of such a transaction would be to improve its online services and advertising business—the same reason it would buy the company outright. It says it is not making a new bid to acquire Yahoo at this time, but that it “reserves the right to reconsider that alternative depending on future developments and discussions that may take place with Yahoo! or discussions with shareholders of Yahoo! or Microsoft or with other third parties.”
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-microsoft-discussing-transaction-with-yahoo-not-necessarily-an-acquisit/

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/18/yahoo-microsoft-back-at-the-table/