Lane Hanson
Yahoo could sell its core business and a list of potential buyers is already forming after a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday said the company’s board is considering a sale
Among the top prospect are Verizon Wireless, which recently acquired AOL for $4.4 billion in June, and IAC Interactive, the owner of 150 internet brands, including Match.com, Tinder, and HomeAdvisor.
Anonymous sources said Yahoo will “likely explore a purchase,”The Wall Street Journal said in a follow-up report on Wednesday.
News Corp., which owns The Journal, and Time Inc. would also consider acquiring pieces of Yahoo, should they become available, The Journal says.
Business Insider believes Comcast “could make a move after recently investing in Vox and Buzzfeed, and Disney, which has explored investments in Buzzfeed and Vice.”
Analysts are already beginning to put a value on Yahoo’s core business. Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser values Yahoo’s core at $1.9 billion, not including the $5.8 billion in cash on its balance sheet. SunTrust analyst Robert Peck believes Yahoo could net $6 billion to $8 billion from a sale.
Yahoo has not yet confirmed that it may find a buyer.
