How Much is Yahoo Worth?

So Yahoo is trying to sell its core business as well as a bunch of patents that it owns. Analysts have thus far been pricing these assets around US$6 to 8 billion. Meanwhile, certain news commentators have suggested that Yahoo is looking at a price of sound US$10 billion.

Meanwhile, bids by AT&T and Dan Gilbert are at US$5 billion for Yahoo's core business, patents and real estate.

Verizon has put in a lower bid but that is without the patents.

There are other bidders and some news outlets have reported that sources indicate that bids are ranging between US$4-8 billion.

Temasek and GIC buy Alibaba

Singapore's Temasek Holdings and GIC have each bought $500 million worth of Alibaba shares at a price of $74 each from Japan's Softbank. Softbank has been unloading its Alibaba shares in order to strengthen its balance sheet. While it initially wanted to raise $8.9 billion, this has since increased to $10 billion.

Alibaba is China's greatest e-commerce company listed on NYSE. Alibaba is itself buying back $2 billion of shares from Softbank at the same price of $74 per piece. 

Starboard seeks change to Yahoo's management and board

Activist investor Starboard Value LP which owns less than 1% of Yahoo's shares has delivered another letter to Yahoo's board asking for a change in management, board composition, and changes in strategy and execution. In the same letter, Starboard cited that it was growing increasingly frustrated even as it attempted to work constructively with the board.

Yahoo was previously considering a sale of it's Alibaba business but has now decided to put it on hold after there was no certainty that the sale would not be taxed. Starboard which first proposed the sake is now encouraging a sale of Yahoo's core search and advertising business instead.

Yahoo decides not to spin off Alibaba stake

In what is perhaps not an unexpected move, Yahoo's board has announced that it would not be pursuing the spin-off of Yahoo's close to $30billion Alibaba stake. Instead, they will now be exploring the sale of Yahoo's core business by spinning it off into a separate company.

This move comes shortly after activist shareholder, Starboard Value LP who hatched the idea of the Alibaba sale switched tact and suggested that Yahoo sell its core business instead. A lack of certainty that Yahoo would avoid taxes on the Alibaba sale is likely the main reason.

Some likely buyers include AT&T, Verizon and Alibaba. However, based on certain news sources, it seems that Alibaba might not be interested in Yahoo's core business.

Key Trade Ideas - Yahoo! Alibaba Rio Tinto

With news about the future of Yahoo! and what it will do with its stake in Alibaba, IG UK takes a technical look at both stocks.

In addition, Rio Tinto is close to 2009 levels and might offer a good trading opportunity.

Carl Icahn urges Apple on stock buyback

Activist investor Carl Icahn continues to urge Apple to carry out share buybacks.

Investors are buying too through their normal brokers like HSBC.

Thanksgiving Sales Up - Good for Ebay and Amazon

Ebay and Amazon are trading higher after good sales data came in from Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  Most retail analysts estimate that there will be a 4.0 to 4.5% growth for holiday sales this year, with ecommerce making up for a dip in store traffic on Black Friday.

Ebay closed trading at $54.88 and Amazon at $338.64.

Piper Jaffray has raised its price target on Amazon to $400 from $350, believing that Amazon will hold its ecommerce market share through the holiday season.

Meanwhile, statistics have shown that eBay monthly users from U.S. have dropped to a new 3 year low. This probably is some concern that Ebay's marketplace is not performing as well as it should be. Icahn Capital LP has been pushing for Ebay to spin off its Paypal business and that could serve as catalyst for the stock.