takeover

PC maker Dell has a competition on its hands to see who'll take over the company.

Until this weekend, a group led by founder Michael Dell had seemed to have things mostly sewn up with their $24.4 billion plan for putting an end to the Texas-based company's days as a publicly traded entity.

But now things have apparently gotten more complicated for Dell's board of directors. Reuters is reporting today, citing a source, that a special board committee is evaluating a pair of last-minute preliminary proposals, one from asset management firm Blackstone Group and the other … Read more

Lenovo's chief executive has told a French publication he is open to an eventual deal to buy embattled smartphone maker BlackBerry.

In an interview with the French financial newspaper Les Echos, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing said that a deal could make sense, but added he would need to analyze the market and understand the importance of the company. Bloomberg spotted and translated the French language publication's story.

The comments sparked a 14.1 percent increase in BlackBerry's stock. It's up $1.84 to $14.90 in recent trading.

While a Lenovo representative confirmed the comments made … Read more

It appears that Best Buy founder Richard Schulze will not be resuming control of the struggling electronics retail giant any time soon.

Negotiations between the Best Buy and Schulze's investment group have concluded without an agreement for taking the company private, sources with knowledge of the matter told The New York Times, although they cautioned that talks could resume in the future.

Schulze, who founded Best Buy in 1966 and served as CEO until 2002, still owns 20 percent of the company and had proposed paying between $24 and $26 per share in cash to acquire the outstanding shares … Read more

Activist investor Carl Icahn said today he has considered launching a hostile takeover bid for Netflix, in which he recently acquired a 10 percent stake.

When queried on the approach to gain control of the Internet streaming and DVD rental service, Icahn told CNBC: "The thought had certainly entered my mind. I have to admit I think about it, but we haven't made that decision."

While saying a hostile takeover was "certainly an alternative," the billionaire and former corporate raider called Netflix's recent adoption of a "poison pill" plan to defend against … Read more

Best Buy founder Richard Schulze have reached an agreement that allows him to conduct due diligence and form an investment group to make an official bid for the struggling electronics retailer and take it private.

After the due diligence process begins, Schulze will have 60 days in which to bring a fully financed, definitive proposal for the company, the Richfield, Minn.-based company said in a statement today. If the board of directors rejects that offer, Schulze has agreed not to pursue another proposal until January.

But Schulze would also have an opportunity to present an offer to shareholders at … Read more

Samsung Electronics didn't waste time nipping that rumor in the bud.

The Korean conglomerate has flat-out told Reuters that it isn't interested in buying Research In Motion or licensing its next-generation BlackBerry 10 operating system.

"Samsung Electronics has not considered the acquisition of Research in Motion or licensing BB10," a representative told CNET.

The comment came after an analyst speculated this week that RIM might make an attractive target for Samsung.

RIM declined to comment on the speculation.

While Samsung remains the most dominant Android player and largest handset vendor in the world, the company has … Read more

Microsoft is considering a second run at Yahoo.

Reuters, citing anonymous sources, reported today that Microsoft is weighing a potential bid for Yahoo, and may enlist a partner to help close the deal. Yahoo investors welcomed the report, sending shares up $1.46, or more than 10 percent, to close at $15.92.

But a bid may not materialize as there are still different factions within Microsoft that disagree on whether the company should acquire Yahoo, Reuters reported.

Microsoft joins a number of companies that are eying Yahoo, which said in an internal memo that it is fielding inquiries from … Read more

Could billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn be the answer to Research In Motion's woes?

Wall Street apparently thinks so, as RIM's stock rose nearly 7 percent today on speculation that Icahn may have taken a stake in the company, BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis, citing traders, told Reuters today.

"We believe that, if true, this would be viewed positively, as it could lead to changes in the company to potentially unlock value," said James Moorman, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor's.

Icahn has a track record of taking major stakes and agitating for change … Read more

Novell has rejected an unsolicited $2 billion takeover bid from Elliot Associates, the business software provider announced in a statement Saturday.

"Our board of directors has concluded, after careful consideration, including a review of the proposal with its independent financial and legal advisers, that Elliott's proposal is inadequate and that it undervalues the company's franchise and growth prospects," Novell said.

In a March 2 letter to Novell's board of directors, Elliot--a New York-based hedge fund that already holds an 8.5 percent stake in Novell--offered to acquire the company for $5.75 per share in … Read more