Microsoft-Yahoo Search Deal Imminent: Analysts Weigh In

As we first reported yesterday , Microsoft and Yahoo are on the verge of announcing a complicated search and search marketing alliance that will combine the no. 2 and no. 3 players in search into something that may have a chance of competing with Google (although combined they will still have less than half of Google's 65% or so search market share). The deal will be announced shortly after signing, and could come as early as today (Wednesday). If the deal is completed it will close the 18-month long negotiation that began with a $45 billion merger offer on February 1, 2008. The details of the deal will determine the bump in Yahoo's share price, something investors really desperately desire. Here's what the deal may look like (from a Thomas Weisel Partners analyst report colorfully titled BingHoo! earlier this evening):