Throughout 2008's on-again, off-again talks between Yahoo and Microsoft, many financial analysts declared the belief that some sort of deal--either Microsoft acquiring Yahoo outright or later just its search business--was a matter of when, not if. One report released Tuesday, though, shows at least one change of view. Jim Friedland of Cowen & Co. said the relative financial results of Yahoo and of Microsoft's online-services business (OSB) gives Microsoft a bad bargaining position. Specifically, he said operating revenue from advertising dropped 16 percent annually for Microsoft in the first quarter of 2009, compared to a 12 percent drop for Yahoo and a 5 percent increase for Google.
More: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10228810-93.html?tag=nl.e703
