Yahoo! Inc. shareholders barely flinched following a Sunday announcement that potential suitor Microsoft Corp. is willing to take another stab at a potential deal. Yahoo on Monday inched up 0.07% to close at $27.68, while Microsoft fell 1.77%, to $29.46. Microsoft, after abandoning its $47.5 billion offer for Yahoo on May 3, this past weekend announced "it is considering and has raised with Yahoo! an alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo! but not an acquisition of all of Yahoo." Microsoft also said it may consider preparing a new offer for the company.
Corporate Express NV shareholders do not seem enamored with Staples Inc.'s plans for a hostile takeover as its stock barely moved, closing up .08%, to $12.59 per share. Staples shares fell 1.09% to close at $23.57 on the news. Staples launched a public offer of $12.53 per share in cash for the Dutch office supply company.
As video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. extended its deadline on its $2 billion tender offer for Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., Take-Two's stock saw almost no movement, falling just 0.70% to close at $26.91. Meanwhile, the bidder's stock also fell, closing down $1.17, or 2.36%, at $48.43. -- Michael Rudnick
The somewhat tepid mood of the broader markets on Monday seemed to be contagious as a handful of stocks involved in pending deals barely moved despite positive deal news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday climbed 41.36 points to close at 13,028.16.
