AOL is exploring strategic ways for the company that could include a possible combination of assets from itself and Yahoo, per The Wall Street Journal sources on Sunday.
The report pointed-out a match of AOL and at least a part of Yahoo’s assets are just one of the directions the company is exploring through an advisory team.
“Among the scenarios being examined by AOL are a combination of Yahoo and AOL’s online businesses after a spin-off of Yahoo’s Asian assets that would return capital to share-holders, people familiar with the matter said,” according to the paper. “Another scenario would have private equity firms take a stake in the combined operations, along with a plan to pay a dividend to Yahoo share-holders, the people added.”
The firms mentioned by the Journal: Silver Lake Partners and Blackstone Group, but as many as three other groups could be included. In Sunday’s report, the paper said that AOL held merger talks with Yahoo before, but not this time.
AOL has talked to Yahoo before, but not with a formal proposal.
