Ebay shareholders over-react to grim outlook 16 Oct 2008 The online auctioneer expects falling sales and a terrible holiday season next quarter. But its diversification and balance sheet should provide a cushion. It s still trading at a huge discount to other retailers. Ebay will feel pain but looks too cheap.
Online political futures markets show signs of manipulation 8 Oct 2008 A few online exchanges allow bets on the US presidential race and other contests. In theory, this should be a very accurate barometer of Obama and McCain s odds. But some sites show pricing discrepancies that could be attempts to distort the markets, says Jeff Segal.
Facebook sees trouble in the mirror 8 Oct 2008 The social network is ailing. Five top executives have quit, including a cofounder who s starting a competitor. And the company may start buying employees stock, which it can ill afford. Facebook needs to find a few rich friends if it's to avoid becoming Silicon Valley history.
Has Ebay bought another Skype or Paypal? 6 Oct 2008 The auctioneer is buying online payment system Bill Me Later for $945m. Investors are still burned by Ebay's purchase of internet telephony firm Skype. Luckily this is more like its savvy 2002 Paypal deal. It may even help Ebay weather economic hard times.
How does Google’s green push help shareholders? 2 Oct 2008 The search giant has announced a plan to wean the US off fossil fuels clearly a worthy goal. But it could also prove a distraction for the company s executives. Google should consider its shareholders before trying to save the world.
Fat finger fiascos flourish in volatile markets 1 Oct 2008 Google s stock swung $200 per share in minutes yesterday due to erroneous orders . Such errors can be expected in small and illiquid stocks. But automated strategies now direct huge pools of money. Throw in market panic, and problems can beset even market giants.
Yahoo needs to hone its focus 22 Sep 2008 Tuesday is the company s first board meeting since Carl Icahn and his supporters joined the team. It can no longer just pine for Microsoft. And its new marketing efforts and search deal with Google won t solve its problems. Yahoo needs to decide what it wants to be.
Facebook offers sliver of hope for jobless bankers 16 Sep 2008 Bankers recently booted by Lehman and other shredded Wall Street firms could do worse than spend their new free time updating their Facebook pages and removing embarrassing photos. That's because recruiters with jobs to fill are scouring social networking sites for candidates.
Will YouTube or Facebook be first to make money? 15 Aug 2008 Online video and social networking have both enjoyed huge growth and attracted top talent. But neither of their leading lights can seem to monetise hordes of users. Even so, in the race to wring dollars from Web 2.0, YouTube looks likely to win.
AOL-Time Warner: the best deal ever 12 Aug 2008 Sure, the 2000 merger zapped hundreds of billions of dollars of value. But John Malone s plan to swap his $1.6bn stake in Time Warner for AOL s dialup business begs a rethinking of the past. It s now clear former AOL boss Steve Case gave his shareholders the steal of a lifetime.
Are the Olympics online video’s coming-out party? 7 Aug 2008 The Games are set to be China s latest and greatest performance on the world stage. But they may be just as momentous for online video. Heaps of content will be on hand for internet users around the globe. All those eyeballs could finally show online video s real power.
Comcast splurges again on web candy 6 Aug 2008 The cable operator keeps shelling out on websites that don t appear to have much to do with its core business. It s paying $125m for Daily Candy, a womenoriented site. It will take more than a shopping spree for Comcast to show shareholders the merits of its content makeover.
How did Yahoo’s proxy vote go pear shaped? 6 Aug 2008 Shareholders were understandably miffed by the company s miscounted proxy vote. Yahoo bears some blame the gaffe makes its board look even more aloof. But the complicated proxy system itself is fraught with risk and prone to error.
Microsoft less likely to get Yahoo on the cheap 21 Jul 2008 By giving Carl Icahn three of 11 board seats the internet group avoids an unsettling proxy fight while increasing the pressure on its executives to perform. With only three votes, Icahn will struggle to flip Yahoo for a song.
Microsoft could learn from Inbev’s recipe 16 Jul 2008 By snapping up resistant AnheuserBusch in short order, Inbev offered a tutorial on buying companies that don't want to sell. Seeing how Microsoft has handled its sloppy dance with Yahoo, it's clear the software giant could benefit from a lesson.
Yahoo Microsoft deal draws closer 14 Jul 2008 This may not be obvious from Yahoo's latest bid rejection. Yet the suitor keeps coming back, improving its offer, and Yahoo says it will sell if the price is right. The strained relationship between the two managements is the biggest impediment but this hurdle is surmountable.
Blogs find buyers through diversification 11 Jul 2008 Guardian Media Group snapped up mediacentric blog Paidcontent for over $30m. That s a lot for eyeballs. But smart blog entrepreneurs have discovered how to attract buyers to their hardtovalue business model: Do more than just provide content.
Microsoft urges overthrow of Yahoo board 7 Jul 2008 The gloves have definitively come off in the battle for the internet group s future. By publicly stating it s ready to engage a new Yahoo board in a takeover, Microsoft has given Yahoo shareholders no choice but to vote for Icahn s slate of directors.
Venture capital needs less capital 3 Jul 2008 VC firms are stuffed with cash they can't put to work. The IPO market is the worst since 1978 and venturebacked M&A is down over 40% from last year. The flailing economy isn t solely to blame. It's time to return money to investors.
Nokia’s Symbian purchase swats Microsoft and Google 24 Jun 2008 The Finnish mobile giant will take control of the biggest smart phone software maker and offer its programs for free on an open source basis. This could make it harder for rival software groups to carve out a profitable niche in mobile.