The kings of [the ad] industry want a Microsoft-Yahoo merger already. Read >

People seem to think that Microsoft's releasing its slate of potential Yahoo directors matters. It doesn't. Microsoft is not going to go hostile, and neither is anyone else (at least not this year). If there's a deal, it will be friendly. Read >

Speaking to Reuters in Indonesia, Microsoft Chief Strategy Officer Craig Mundie opens the door for Yahoo. Your move, Jerry. Read >

Microsoft buying Facebook? Go ahead and laugh, but when you're done, consider this: It actually makes more sense than Microsoft buying Yahoo. And Mark Zuckerberg might just be in the mood to listen. Read >

Still counting on that ONE BILLION DOLLARS of incremental Yahoo cash flow from the forthcoming Google search deal? Then you don't want to read the short paragraph tucked into a WSJ article this afternoon. Read >

Peter Chernin says he and his boss aren't pursuing any deals with Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL or anyone else. But he doesn't rule one out. Read >

Microsoft's billionaire founder has wasted no time getting back in the spotlight after the Yahoo deal fell through. Read >

Giddy Yahoo investors are now expecting a Yahoo-Google search outsourcing deal to boost Yahoo's cash flow by $1 billion. It won't. The cash-flow benefit will also anniversary after a year, and it won't stem Yahoo's loss of share of search queries. Read >

The market is now almost as confident that Microsoft will buy Yahoo as it was when Microsoft had a bid on the table. We think this is a misperception. In our opinion, to bring Ballmer back to the table, Yahoo will have to get down on its knees and beg. Even now, this will require a major attitude adjustment. Read >

Who blew the Microsoft-Yahoo deal? Yahoo blames Microsoft. Microsoft blames Yahoo. And everyone blames Wall Street, for what appears to have been the worst M&A advice in history. But not so, says Wall Street! Our clients are a bunch of bozos! Read >

After Yahoo's dramatic backpedal yesterday, the market is assuming a deal is as good as done. Whoah, Nelly. Don't forget the real reason these talks collapsed: Steve Ballmer no longer wants to buy Yahoo. Read >

In what must be one of the quickest backtracks in the history of Big M&A, Yahoo has already admitted that it doesn't really want $37 and that it would be willing to take, say, $35. It has also been publicly spanked by its largest shareholder. Read >

The men who cofounded Yahoo were willing to give up more than a billion dollars to keep it. Read >

A dispute about the circumstances of Microsoft's bid increase to $33 is revealing. First, it suggests that Yahoo knows the "substantially undervalued" argument isn't cutting it with angry shareholders. Second, it suggests that Microsoft was looking for an excuse to walk. Read >

Whatever Yahoo does now, it shouldn't follow Bill Miller's advice and spend its $2.5 billion of cash to buy back stock. Read >

The only folks who appear to be happy with Microsoft's walking away are a handful of folks on Yahoo's board. It therefore doesn't seem unreasonable to think that a Yahoo shareholder rebellion might lead to a resumption of negotiations. If so, the advantage will have shifted overwhelmingly (and permanently) to Microsoft. Read >

An anecdote in the WSJ suggests that Yahoo may be trying to deflect criticism by suggesting that it only learned of Microsoft's $33 offer after Microsoft walked away. Let us hope (pray) that that's not what's going on here. Read >

Yahoo's bizarre reaction to the collapse of the Microsoft talks suggests that Jerry and the board really ARE living in an alternate universe. Read >

Why not? But with which partner: Yahoo or Microsoft? Read >

Yahoo is reportedly in serious negotiations with AOL about a $10 billion deal. We suspect the jilted Microsoft may have something to say about that. Read >

Now that Yahoo's search dalliance with Google has helped fight off Microsoft, should Yahoo abandon it? No. Yahoo has already lost the search game, so no sense in continuing to throw money down a rat hole. Read >

Microsoft is withdrawing its bid for Yahoo and will not pursue a hostile proxy battle. Microsoft offered $33; Yahoo wanted $37. We think this is a smart move by Microsoft and a risky one by Yahoo. Yahoo's stock will likely drop to the low $20s. Read >

Microsoft and Yahoo may have to spin off an email business to get the deal through regulators. This will weaken the rationale for doing the deal in the first place. Here's the best solution. Read >

One of many early warning signs that the Microsoft-Yahoo deal will be a disaster? Mail system branding. Read >

Yahoo's anti-Microsoft severance package strategy didn't keep Steve Ballmer away. But it did help land at least one new recruit. Read >

The WSJ has confirmed our earlier assumption: Microsoft and Yahoo are in serious negotiations and are closer to striking a friendly deal. Microsoft has raised its price by several dollars. Read >

After Yahoo jabs Microsoft in the eye with a "pending Google search announcement," Microsoft punches back, again threatening to go hostile (but not scoffing at a $35-$37 price). Is it just us, or is Microsoft beginning to sound desperate here? Read >

No sooner does Microsoft announce an imminent decision on Yahoo than Yahoo punches right back: Google search deal within a week. Read >

Because it can't find his mailing address. True story. Read >

Microsoft will announce its Yahoo decision after the market close, Kara Swisher says, citing sources close to Microsoft. Caveat: This comes as news to some of our sources close to Microsoft. Read >