Report: Microsoft seeks Facebook stake
474187
InfoWorld - Microsoft has approached Facebook&#160;in recent weeks proposing an investment that would give Microsoft a stake of up to 5 percent in the popular social-networking company, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
625461
Wall Street Journal reports  Microsoft may take a stake of up to $500 million in social network, which could push valuation toward the $10 billion mark.
529987
Google shall not pass It was the worst-kept secret in the internet industry, but today Microsoft proved all the rumor-mongers right by confirming that it is taking a stake in Facebook, and shutting Google out of the social networking website.â¦
75556
Online social network Facebook is  close to reaching a deal with Google Inc  or Microsoft  Corp  for an investment that would value the company as  high as $15 billion, according to media reports on Wednesday.
416930
SAN FRANCISCO -- Rapidly rising Internet star Facebook Inc. has sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from online search leader Google Inc.
561763
The Wall Street Journal says Microsoft has proposed an investment that would give it a stake of up to 5 percent in Facebook.
621143
Rich Zygler asks in one of his recent blog posts, if Microsoft purchasing a 240 million dollar chunk of Facebook is a good thing for the language it's written in - PHP.   Microsoft is buying a piece of Facebook. What do we all think this means for PHP since Facebook is one of the "web 2.0" leaders built on PHP? The way I see it, [there] are [six] options.   Among the possible outcomes he lists are things like Microsoft rewriting the site, Facebook continues as it is or (next to impossible) Microsoft sees the error of its ways and fully embraces open source.
651906
Rumors that Microsoft is negotiating a stake in social networking site Facebook could mean another bubble in Internet company values.
129555
Microsoft will take a 240-million-dollar stake in the wildly popular social-networking website Facebook as part of an expansion of the strategic alliance of the two firms, the companies said Wednesday.
439424
Social-networking site Facebook is in  serious talks to sell itself to Yahoo for an amount that could  approach $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported on  Thursday.
357049
Microsoft Corp  is talking to Facebook about an investment in the company that could value the fast-growing social network at $10 billion or more, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Monday.
65932
(InfoWorld) - Microsoft has approached FacebookÂ in recent weeks proposing an investment that would give Microsoft a stake of up to 5 percent in the popular social-networking company, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. With Microsoft willing to invest between $300 million and $500 million, the deal would value Facebook at $10 billion or more, the Journal reported, quoting anonymous sources. Google has also expressed an interest in acquiring a Facebook stake recently, according to the Journal. Thus, Microsoft could find itself competing for Facebook's attention with Google. However, Facebook's discussions with Google and Microsoft are in the early stages and could end up with no agreement with either suitor, according to the Journal. IDG News Service's requests for comment from Facebook, Microsoft, and Google weren't immediately answered. Founded in February 2004, Facebook is one of the world's most popular social-networking sites with about 42 million active users. Facebook has been growing strongly in the past 12 months. In December, it had about 12 million active users. The site initially only admitted students, but last September it lifted that restriction. In May of this year, itÂ opened up to third-party developersÂ to create applications for the site, which has also added to its popularity with users. Along the way, it has caught the attention of big Internet playersÂ such asÂ Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo. The latter reportedly tried to buy Facebook last year for $1 billion. Facebook's attractiveness is that it builds very strong and deep relationships with its users.Â More thanÂ half of its active members return to the site daily, and Facebook knows a lot about them, thanks to all the personal information people disclose on their site profiles and interactions with other members. This, in turn, offers a desirable audience to advertisers and to ad sellers and distributorsÂ such asÂ Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. A little more than a year ago,Â Facebook chose Microsoft to display banner adsÂ on the site. Facebook would be interested in using the cash raised from selling a stake for buying other companies, increasing its staff of about 300, and beefing up its technical infrastructure, the Journal reported. Facebook is also weighing the option of raising funds from financial investors, the Journal said.
622022
NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. , lagging behind Google Inc. in the online advertising market, is in talks to purchase a stake of as much as 5 percent in social-networking site Facebook Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported.
108965
Facebook will sell a $240 million minority stake to Microsoft, which as part of the deal will also expand the advertising services it provides to the social networking phenom, the companies said Wednesday in a statement.
254122
Social-networking site Facebook is in  serious talks to sell itself to Yahoo  for an amount  that could approach $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal  reported on Thursday.
265996
Investors eye $8bn takeover claim Microsoft wants to buy mouse maker Logitech, if investor speculation is to be believed.â¦
744837
Yahoo may team up with News Corp. to fend off&#160;Microsoft&#39;s bid to buy the struggling Web portal, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday.The two companies are in talks about a deal in which News Corp. would take a stake of as much as 20 percent in Yahoo. MySpace and other Web properties of News Corp. would be combined with Yahoo, according to the report, which was attributed to &quot;people familiar with the matter.&quot;The deal would also involve a cash infusion by News Corp. and a private equity firm. Yahoo would remain independent.On Monday,&#160;Yahoo rejected Microsoft&#39;s $44.6 billion unsolicited buyout bid, saying it undervalued the company. Microsoft has vowed to take all necessary steps to close the deal.A Yahoo spokeswoman declined to comment on the report. News Corp. and Microsoft could not immediately be reached for comment.