SAN FRANCISCO The end of Yahoo as an independent company may be near, and Verizon long considered the leading contender to buy the aging web pioneer is the most likely acquirer.The two companies are in advanced talks over a takeover of Yahoo that could be worth close to $5 billion, a person briefed on the matter said Friday.Any transaction would be for Yahoos core internet business, although it is unclear whether a deal would also include other assets like real estate or patents.Both companies are hoping to announce a deal as early as next week, this person said. Verizon is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday.When Yahoo finally began exploring a sale of its core business a sprawling collection of properties including its sports and news sites, search engine, email and the social network Tumblr Verizon was considered the front-runner by analysts and investors. The telecommunications behemoth already owned AOL, another onetime internet darling that had fallen far from its peak.
Källa: Verizon Is Said to Be Near a Deal to Acquire Yahoo – The New York Times
