Google, Microsoft rumoured to be considering Yahoo bids

Google and Microsoft are both reportedly considering bids for Yahoo.

Yahoo has been in a state of chaos since it fired former CEO Carol Bartz in early September, with co-founder Jerry Yang saying a sale was one potential option.

Google has spoken to at least two private equity firms about possibly helping it finance a deal to buy Yahoo’s core business, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Google is interested in selling advertising across Yahoo’s websites, the newspaper said.

Google and prospective partners have held preliminary discussions but haven’t come up with a formal proposal, and the search leader may end up deciding not to pursue a bid, the source said.

The intent going in is not to put ourselves up for sale

It is not clear which private equity firms Google has spoken to, the WSJ said, and any potential deal between the two biggest search companies would likely arouse antitrust scrutiny. Representatives of Google could not immediately be reached for comment.

Microsoft is also considering financing part of a bid for Yahoo by a private equity firm, while Chinese firm Alibaba has also said it is considering a bid.

However, a sale might not happen at all, Yang said at a conference last week. “The intent going in is not to put ourselves up for sale,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “The intent is to look at all options. There’s plenty of options for the board, and plenty of options for our shareholders to realise value.”