Skip to main content

Could this be the end for Yahoo? Board decides to spin off core Web business

Yahoo Logo
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Yahoo made a U-turn earlier today on plans to spin off the company’s Alibaba shares, valued at $30 billion. The company’s board unanimously voted for a “reverse spin-off”, where the core Web business would be made into a separate company.

The core Web business has been flagging for quite some time, dropping from Microsoft’s $44.6 billion valuation when it offered to acquire Yahoo in 2008, to around $4 billion in today’s market. That puts it in perfect territory for a buyout, and rumors claim private equity and telecommunications firms are interested.

Yahoo might not sell, but there is not much left of the Web business that is worth keeping. Mail is far behind Gmail and Outlook, Search is far behind Google, Messenger is far behind WhatsApp and Snapchat, and Shopping is far behind Amazon.

It isn’t set in stone that the spin-off will happen, chief executive Marissa Mayer said they would have to consult shareholders, U.S. regulators, and business partners before making a final decision. However, the board has been more hesitant toward Mayer’s plans in the past six months, as they start to question the CEO’s performance over the past three years.

The main source of value for Yahoo lies in the hands of other companies, like Alibaba and Yahoo! Japan. It has a 15 percent stake in Alibaba worth $30 billion and a 35 percent stake in Yahoo! Japan, worth $8.5 billion. If the Web business sells, Yahoo’s shareholders might be more worried about the performance of Alibaba or its Japanese web portal, than any new projects Mayer is trying to push.

We don’t know the finer details of what divisions will go into the Web business. Tumblr, Flickr, and its media division might remain with the company, while its older and less valuable assets are pushed into the spin-off, or we might see them all thrown into the separate company.

Editors' Recommendations

David Curry
Former Digital Trends Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
How to find archived emails in Gmail and return them to your inbox
A smartphone sitting on a wooden table, showing the Gmail app's inbox on its screen.

If you’re looking to clean up your Gmail inbox, but you don’t want to delete anything permanently, then choosing the archive option is your best bet. Whenever you archive an email, it is removed from your inbox folder while still remaining accessible. Here’s how to access any emails you have archived previously, as well as how to move such messages back to your regular inbox for fast access.

Read more
Samsung Spring Sale: Save on monitors, phones, TVs, and more
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray with S Pen on back.

Samsung, one of the most trusted brands in the electronics industry, has rolled out monitor deals, phone deals, TV deals, and price cuts for other types of devices in the Samsung Spring Sale. While it's going to run until March 10, it's highly recommended that you finish your shopping as soon as you can because for some of the popular offers, there's a chance that their stocks run out quickly. To help you make a quick decision, we've highlighted our favorite bargains below, but feel free to look at everything that's available in the ongoing sale -- just do it fast to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

What to buy in the Samsung Spring Sale

Read more
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial? Get a month of free delivery
Walmart logo.

Take a moment and think about how often you shop at your local Walmart. Is it weekly? Daily? If either of those is the case, it might be time to upgrade your shopping experience. The Walmart Plus free trial is your chance to check out what the retail giant has to offer. Walmart Plus is basically Amazon Prime for Walmart. You get free shipping on most orders, early access to deals and new product drops (like PS5 restocks), the best grocery delivery, and more. If Walmart is your go-to option for the best smart home devices or the best tech products in general, you should get a membership. If you want to test out the service, you can sign up for a free trial. We have all the information you need right here.
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial?
There is a Walmart Plus free trial available, and it’s one of the best free trials we’ve seen in terms of how many great features and conveniences you’re able to access. This is really a reflection of how great the Walmart Plus service is, as the Walmart Plus free trial is essentially a 30-day experience of what it would be like to be a paid Walmart Plus subscriber. A Walmart Plus membership can help you save over $1,300 per year, so taking advantage of the 30-day free trial is a great way to get in there and see what those savings will look like. And if grocery delivery is what you're really after, an alternative you might consider is the Instacart free trial -- they have more than one program to try!

As part of a Walmart Plus free trial, you’ll get free shipping with no minimum order, so even small orders will qualify for free shipping. You’ll get fresh groceries and more with no delivery fees, and all at the same low in-store prices Walmart shoppers are used to. Walmart Plus members, and Walmart Plus free trial members, get exclusive access to special promotions and events, as well as a savings of up to 10 cents per gallon on fuel. A new addition to the perks of being a Walmart Plus member is free access to Paramount Plus, a top-notch streaming service with more than 40,000 TV episodes and movies. All of this is accessible for 30 days through a Walmart Plus free trial, and once those 30 days are up, Walmart Plus is just $8.17 per month or $98 annually.

Read more