Yahoo

[mkmk]

As a Yahoo Fantasy Football player for past 10 years, there are rumors that they are completely revamping their Fantasy Sports sites (which saddens me), and are going for the Daily Fantasy Sports (aka DraftKings and FanDuel), which will bring in a new revenue stream.

Here's a Forbes article published in April: http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/...y-pricing/

In what could be extremely exciting news for the daily fantasy sports marketplace, Yahoo announced today its planned entry into daily fantasy sports.

Yahoo’s planned entry into the daily fantasy sports marketplace is good news for consumers in that it restores a third major player to the market. Daily fantasy sports participants have not seen true competition for market share since July 2014 when DraftKings, the market’s second largest player, acquired DraftStreet, the market’s then No. 3 player.

With Yahoo’s planned entry, Yahoo could provide a real challenge to the market share of FanDuel and DraftKings, thus creating true price competition. While Yahoo is far newer to the marketplace than the other two companies, it does already have a strong fantasy sports and search business that could easily drive traffic to its games.

Yahoo’s jump into the marketplace also likely means that its chief rival in the full-season fantasy football market, CBS Sports, is likely not far behind.

Until now, companies such as Yahoo and CBS Sports had stayed on the sidelines of the daily fantasy sports market due to the heightened legal risk. But with this marketplace now operating in some form or another since 2007, one could make the reasonable conclusion that the risks seem manageable if carefully navigated.

Of course, there are still some very real marketplace risks to daily fantasy sports in some formats and in some states. Thus, Yahoo would be wise to limit eligibility to its daily fantasy sports contests beyond just the five states in which it currently blocks its full season games. Among others, Arkansas, North Dakota and Tennessee seem to be higher risk states of operating daily fantasy sports contests.

Yahoo may also wish to avoid offering contests ‘played against the house’, and to devise real ways of monitoring user age, location and addictive gambling behavior — all topics that merit careful scrutiny as states begin to review their own laws vis-a-vis daily fantasy sports.

But in any event, Yahoo’s intended entry into daily fantasy sports could mark a very real change to the power dynamics within daily fantasy sports. As in any industry, three or four major competitors is far more favorable for pricing structure than just two large companies. And while there are many businesses currently trying to offer daily fantasy sports, not many have the funding of FanDuel and DraftKings, especially after their recent partnerships with pro sports leagues.

It will be interesting to see how Yahoo’s planned launch unfolds and how Yahoo manages the ongoing state and federal law risks of operating daily fantasy sports contests.

But for consumers, Yahoo’s entry seems like a good thing.

And with Yahoo now entering the marketplace, perhaps there will be more new entry into the daily fantasy sports market — perhaps from CBS — not far down the line.

[CityFarmer]

The expectation is lower. The top-line up, but bottom-line is red, is acceptable?

(not vested)

Yahoo swings to loss as revenues rise
22 Jul 2015 06:33
[SAN FRANCISCO] Yahoo swung to a loss in the second quarter, but revenues grew as the Internet pioneer refocused its efforts on mobile and other growing sectors.

The US$22 million loss in Tuesday's earnings report compared with a profit of US$270 million in the same period a year ago.

But chief executive Marissa Mayer said she was pleased with the revenue growth, saying, "Yahoo's transformation continues to make great progress." Total revenues jumped nearly 15 per cent to US$1.24 billion, led by what Ms Mayer has dubbed the new emerging areas for Yahoo of "Mavens," or mobile, video, native advertising and social.

"Our Mavens investment businesses across mobile, video, native and social grew to nearly US$400 million in revenue this quarter, delivering 60 percent... growth year-over-year," she said in a statement.

For overall revenues, it was the best top-line growth in nearly nine years, Mayer said.
...
Source: Business Times Breaking News

[CityFarmer]

Yahoo investors, may get less than expected from Alibaba, due to the taxes. It should be a substantial tax burden on the capital gain of $23 billion...

(not vested)

Yahoo may have to pay taxes on Alibaba spinoff

Yahoo Inc may have to pay taxes on the $23 billion it hopes to get from the planned spinoff of its stake in Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd , threatening a key element of Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer's turnaround strategy.

Yahoo said Tuesday the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had denied the company's request for a private letter ruling on whether the spinoff of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant would be considered tax free.

Yahoo's shares fell as much as 15.8 percent after the announcement but they pared their losses later in extended trading and were down about 3 percent.

Despite the IRS denial of the letter, Yahoo said the IRS had not concluded the transaction would be taxable. The company said it would weigh its options, including proceeding with the spinoff, according to a regulatory filing.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/business/yaho...ba-spinoff

[CityFarmer]

Yahoo go ahead, with the uncertainty...

Yahoo to proceed with Alibaba spinoff despite lack of IRS ruling
29 Sep 2015 06:51
[NEW YORK] Yahoo Inc said it would proceed with the planned spinoff of its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd even though the IRS has declined to rule on whether the transaction will be tax free.
...
REUTERS

Source: Business Times Breaking News

[CityFarmer]

How much time left for the CEO? I reckon, not much, once the shareholders patience run out...

(not vested)

Yahoo flags plans to ‘narrow strategy’ after poor Q3

SAN FRANCISCO — Well into her fourth year as Yahoo’s chief executive, Ms Marissa Mayer is still searching for a viable turnaround plan for the company.

The company on Tuesday reported disappointing third-quarter financial results and said it would soon begin to use Google to power some of its search results and advertising.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/yahoo-fl...er-poor-q3

[CityFarmer]

Yahoo without the Web business? The CEO has managed to keep the board busy, and investors with new "hope"...

Yahoo shares rise as board meets and considers sale of Web business

...
Broken out as a separate company, Yahoo's email, Yahoo and Tumblr web sites and mobile services could fetch between $2 billion and $8 billion, analysts and bankers said, many seeing $4 billion as the likely price.

After such a sale, all that would be left, essentially, is the Alibaba and Yahoo Japan stakes.

"Realizing value is far from assured, however," Pivotal analyst Brian Wieser wrote in a note. "The big question is whether anyone would actually show up with a meaningful bid."
...
http://www.todayonline.com/business/yaho...iness-cnbc

[CityFarmer]

How much time left for the CEO? I reckon, not much, once the shareholders patience run out...

(not vested)

Yahoo flags plans to ‘narrow strategy’ after poor Q3

SAN FRANCISCO — Well into her fourth year as Yahoo’s chief executive, Ms Marissa Mayer is still searching for a viable turnaround plan for the company.

The company on Tuesday reported disappointing third-quarter financial results and said it would soon begin to use Google to power some of its search results and advertising.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/tech/yahoo-fl...er-poor-q3

Yahoo's board is happy with the CEO, but ultimately, the shareholders are the "boss". One thing is sure, the CEO has worked real hard, and smart...

(not vested)

Board 'absolutely' has confidence in CEO Mayer: Yahoo chairman
10 Dec 2015 00:15
[NEW YORK] Yahoo's Chairman Maynard Webb said Wednesday that the board had full confidence in chief executive Marissa Mayer, despite the company still struggling to build the value of its Internet operations.

Asked on CNBC if the board retains complete confidence in Mayer after her three years at the helm, Webb replied: "Absolutely. I've had the distinct pleasure of running (it) with her now for three years, and I've never met anybody that works harder, that's smarter, and cares more." "So we want to help her return this great company to an iconic place where it belongs."

AFP

Source: Business Times Breaking News

[CityFarmer]

Shareholders have started to speak up on the CEO...

Fund argues for Yahoo job cuts, ouster of Mayer
15 Dec 2015 06:52
[SAN FRANCISCO] An investment fund with a stake in Yahoo called on Monday for the struggling Internet firm to slash more than 80 per cent of its workforce and replace chief executive Marissa Mayer.

The call by investment fund SpringOwl, which did not disclose the size of its Yahoo stake, came amid unease among shareholders after the tech firm retreated from its plan to spin off its multibillion-dollar stake in Chinese online colossus Alibaba.

SpingOwl distributed a presentation arguing that the company should replace Ms Mayer and slash costs by eliminating some 9,000 positions.

Job cuts of that magnitude would represent a huge hit based on employee numbers given by the California-based Internet pioneer at the end of September, when it reported having 10,700 full-time workers and nearly 800 contractors.

SpringOwl told AFP that it sent a copy of the 99-page presentation to Yahoo before making it public.
...
AFP

Source: Business Times Breaking News

[CityFarmer]

Shareholders have started to speak up on the CEO...

Fund argues for Yahoo job cuts, ouster of Mayer
15 Dec 2015 06:52
[SAN FRANCISCO] An investment fund with a stake in Yahoo called on Monday for the struggling Internet firm to slash more than 80 per cent of its workforce and replace chief executive Marissa Mayer.

The call by investment fund SpringOwl, which did not disclose the size of its Yahoo stake, came amid unease among shareholders after the tech firm retreated from its plan to spin off its multibillion-dollar stake in Chinese online colossus Alibaba.

SpingOwl distributed a presentation arguing that the company should replace Ms Mayer and slash costs by eliminating some 9,000 positions.

Job cuts of that magnitude would represent a huge hit based on employee numbers given by the California-based Internet pioneer at the end of September, when it reported having 10,700 full-time workers and nearly 800 contractors.

SpringOwl told AFP that it sent a copy of the 99-page presentation to Yahoo before making it public.
...
AFP

Source: Business Times Breaking News

One more key investor has targeted on the CEO, and the board members...

(not vested)

Key Yahoo investor Starboard demands management change
07 Jan 2016 00:09
[NEW YORK] A key investor in Yahoo demanded Wednesday that the board of directors undertake a management change and warned it could push for a board shakeup if that did not happen.

Activist hedge fund Starboard Value said investors appear to "have lost all confidence in management and the board" after the company, led by Silicon Valley star Marissa Mayer, has failed to turn around Yahoo's struggling core Internet business.

In a letter to the board, Starboard said Yahoo needs to sell off the core business to other investors, but that so far the company has ignored expressions of interest from buyers.
...
AFP

Source: Business Times Breaking News

[CityFarmer]

Yahoo management responded to shareholder requests...

Yahoo looking to slash 10% or more of its workforce

NEW YORK (Jan 7): Yahoo Inc is working on a plan to cut its workforce by at least 10% and it could start the process as early as this month, Business Insider reported, citing sources.

The layoffs, which would result in more than 1,000 people leaving the tech giant, is set to affect Yahoo's media business, European operations, and platforms-technology group, Business Insider said on Wednesday.
...
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/sg/article...-workforce