Tuesday, November 3, 2009
European Union Mulling Objection to Oracle-Sun Deal
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is famous for his admiration of “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu’s sixth-century treatise on battle tactics. And the ancient wisdom has served Ellison well in Oracle’s long-running battle with SAP and its hostile bid for PeopleSoft. But it may get him in trouble when it comes to Oracle’s dealings with the European Commission and its inquiry into the company’s planned acquisition of Sun. The Financial Times reports that Oracle’s refusal to offer any concessions to European antitrust regulators may lead them to issue a formal complaint objecting to the deal.
After enjoying a few brief months of hostile-bid-inspired investor enthusiasm, Yahoo’s share price has resumed the steady decline it’s been charting for some time now.Yahoo closed at $18.75 today. Not only is that the stock’s lowest level in five years, it’s well below the $19.18 it was worth on Jan. 31, the day before Microsoft announced its $31-per-share offer for the company.
