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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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Yahoo! Inc. issued the following press release on July 12, 2008.
YAHOO! REJECTS MICROSOFT/ICAHN SEARCH AND RESTRUCTURING
PROPOSAL
Yahoo! Suggests Microsoft Make A Proposal To Acquire Whole Company
Sunnyvale, CA July 12, 2008 Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company,
confirmed today that it has rejected a joint proposal from Microsoft Corporation and Carl Icahn for
a complex restructuring of Yahoo! that would include the acquisition of Yahoo!s search business by
Microsoft.
The proposal was made on Friday evening and Yahoo! was given less than 24 hours to accept the
proposal, the fundamental terms of which Microsoft and Mr. Icahn made clear they were unwilling to
negotiate. After reviewing the proposal with its legal and financial advisers, Yahoo!s Board of
Directors determined that accepting the proposal is not in the best interests of its stockholders.
The Boards rejection of the proposal was based on a number of factors, including the following:
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Yahoo!s existing business plus its recently signed commercial agreement with Google
has superior financial value and less complexity and risk than the Microsoft/Icahn
proposal. |
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The Microsoft/Icahn proposal would preclude a potential sale of all of Yahoo! for a
full and fair price, including a control premium. |
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The major component of the overall value per share asserted by Microsoft/Icahn would be
in Yahoo!s remaining non-search businesses which would be overseen by Mr. Icahns slate of
directors, which has virtually no working knowledge of Yahoo!s businesses. |
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The Microsoft/Icahn proposal would require the immediate replacement of the current
Board and removal of the top management team at Yahoo!. The Yahoo! Board believes these
moves would destabilize Yahoo! for the up to the one year it would take to gain regulatory
approval for this deal. |
Roy Bostock, Chairman of Yahoo! said, This odd and opportunistic alliance of Microsoft and Carl
Icahn has anything but the interests of Yahoo!s stockholders in mind. Clearly, Microsoft, having
failed to advance in search, is aligning with the short-term objectives of Mr. Icahn to coerce
Yahoo! into selling its core strategic search assets on terms that are highly advantageous to
Microsoft, but disadvantageous to Yahoo! stockholders. Yahoos Board of Directors will not allow
that to happen. Yahoo!s Board remains open to any transaction that delivers full value to our
stockholders we just do not believe such a transaction should be dictated by Microsoft and a
single short-term investor.
Mr. Bostock continued, After negotiating among themselves without the involvement of Yahoo!, Carl
Icahn and Microsoft presented us with a take it or leave it proposal under which we would be
required to restructure the Company, hand over to Microsoft Yahoo!s valuable search business and
to Carl Icahn the rest of the Company, giving us less than 24 hours to respond. It is ludicrous to
think that our Board could accept such a proposal. While this type of erratic and unpredictable
behavior is consistent with what we have come to expect from Microsoft, we will not be bludgeoned
into a transaction that is not in the best interests of our stockholders.
Mr. Bostock also noted that Microsofts position that it would not deal with, or otherwise engage
with, Yahoo!s management to reach agreement on this proposal or to implement it, is completely
absurd and irresponsible given the complexity of the deal one that requires the removal of half
of Yahoo!s business from Yahoo! and then the integration of it into Microsoft.
Yahoo!s Board points out that a transaction to acquire the whole company would be much more
straightforward and involve far less risk than the new proposal or any similar alternative. The
Board believes a whole company transaction could be negotiated and executed prior to August
1st. In rejecting the Microsoft/Icahn proposal, Yahoo! not only repeated its offer to
sell the entire Company to Microsoft for at least $33 per share, but also offered to negotiate an
improved search only transaction. Microsoft rejected both offers.
Ironically, Carl Icahn, who jointly with Microsoft developed and presented this proposal, had
previously urged Yahoo! not to sell its search business to Microsoft. Specifically, in an
interview on CNBCs Fast Money program, on June 4, 2008, Mr. Icahn said, ... its crazy for this
company now to do this alternative deal and give the store away, because obviously, an alternative
deal is a poison pill because once youve done an alternative deal and given the search to
Microsoft, you dont need Microsoft to buy you anymore. So, that would be a poison pill....
Significantly, the Board believes Microsoft and Mr. Icahn are overstating the value their search
and restructuring proposal would deliver to Yahoo! stockholders and are substantially understating
the risks. Yahoo! noted that a transaction that would separate the Companys search and display
businesses is an undertaking of great complexity. While the Board acknowledges that the current
proposal contains a number of improvements over Microsofts earlier proposal, the Yahoo! Boards
conclusion that the current proposal is not in the best interests of stockholders is based on a
number of factors, including:
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The revenue guarantees suggested, which are conditional and subject to reduction, are
well below the search revenue that the Company is expected to generate on its own and in
association with its announced commercial agreement with Google. That agreement alone is
estimated to generate $250 to $450 million of incremental cash flow for the first twelve
months following implementation, while allowing Yahoo! to remain a principal in paid
search; |
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The success of the remaining Company is critically dependent on Microsofts ability to
effectively monetize search; |
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Microsoft/Icahns proposed Traffic Acquisition Costs rates are below market; |
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The proposal calls for Yahoo! to sell its industry-leading algorithmic search business
and its related strategic and valuable intellectual property portfolio for no incremental
consideration; and |
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Many of the components of the headline value that Mr. Icahn and Microsoft put forward,
such as the spin-off of the Yahoo!s Asian assets and the return of cash to stockholders,
are steps that could be taken by Yahoo! on its own and the Board continues to evaluate
these options. |
Mr. Bostock concluded, Microsoft and Mr. Icahn are trying to dismantle the Company and deliver our
search business to Microsoft on terms that would be disadvantageous to Yahoo! stockholders. We are
prepared to let our stockholders, not Microsoft and Carl Icahn, decide what is in their best
interests and we look forward to the upcoming vote.
About Yahoo! Inc.
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations
worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and
developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, California.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release refers to operating cash flow (operating income before depreciation, amortization of
intangible assets, and stock-based compensation expense, or OCF), which is a non-GAAP financial
measure. The most comparable GAAP measure is income from operations. With respect to the OCF
numbers provided in this release, the estimate of income from operations is the same as the
estimated OCF, as the Company does not expect to incur any additional depreciation and amortization
or stock-based compensation expense related to this agreement.
Forward Looking Statements
This release (including without limitation the statements and information in the quotations in this
press release) contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning
Yahoo!s projected financial performance as well as Yahoo!s strategic and operational plans.
Actual results may differ materially from those described in this release due to a number of risks
and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the expected
benefits of the commercial agreement with Google may not be realized, including as a result of
actions taken by United States or foreign regulatory authorities and the response or acceptance of
the agreement by publishers, advertisers, users, and employees; the implementation and results of
Yahoo!s ongoing strategic initiatives; the impact of organizational changes; Yahoo!s ability to
compete with new or existing competitors; reduction in spending by, or loss of, marketing services
customers; the demand by customers for Yahoo!s premium services; acceptance by users of new
products and services; risks related to joint ventures and the
integration of acquisitions; risks related to Yahoo!s international operations; failure to manage
growth and diversification; adverse results in litigation, including intellectual property
infringement claims; Yahoo!s ability to protect its intellectual property and the value of its
brands; dependence on key personnel; dependence on third parties for technology, services, content,
and distribution; general economic conditions and changes in economic conditions; potential
continuing uncertainty arising in connection with the withdrawal of Microsofts unsolicited
proposal to acquire Yahoo! and the announced intention by a stockholder to seek control of our
Board of Directors; the possibility that Microsoft or another person may in the future make another
proposal, or take other actions which may create uncertainty for our employees, publishers,
advertisers, and other business partners; and the possibility of significant costs of defense,
indemnification, and liability resulting from stockholder litigation relating to the Microsoft
proposal. More information about potential factors that could affect Yahoo!s business and
financial results is included under the captions Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Yahoo!s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, as amended, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended March 31, 2008, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) and available at the SECs website at www.sec.gov. All information in this release is as of
July 12, 2008, unless otherwise noted, and Yahoo! does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to
update or otherwise revise the information contained in this release.
Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other
names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Yahoo!
Inc.
Brad Williams, 408-349-7069 (Media)
bhw@yahoo-inc.com
Marta Nichols, 408-349-3527 (Investors)
mnichols@yahoo-inc.com
or
The Abernathy MacGregor Group for Yahoo! Inc.
Adam Miller, 212-371-5999 (Media)
alm@abmac.com
Winnie Lerner, 212-371-5999 (Media)
wal@abmac.com