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IBM, Sun Break Off $7B Merger Talks

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 5, 2009 6:51 PM CDT

(Newser) – IBM withdrew a $7 billion offer to buy Sun Microsystems this weekend after Sun's board called the bid too low, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sun also worried that IBM sought too much leeway to walk away from the deal if antitrust regulators challenged the merger, insiders say. People expected Sun to fetch around $11 per share, but as the company demanded an ironclad deal, IBM's offer sank to $9.40 per share.

Sun has terminated IBM's right to exclusive talks, but no word yet on whether other companies are interested. Sun's investment bankers knocked on doors of major info-tech companies this winter, after IBM expressed interest, but received no other takers. Perhaps these developments are all late-stage brinkmanship leading to a merger down the road, the Journal reports.

Samuel J. Palmisano, IBM Corp.'s chairman and CEO, speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 in New York.
Samuel J. Palmisano, IBM Corp.'s chairman and CEO, speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A young woman walks past the IBM logo at the 2009 CeBIT technology trade fair on March 3, 2009 in Hanover, Germany.
A young woman walks past the IBM logo at the 2009 CeBIT technology trade fair on March 3, 2009 in Hanover, Germany.   (Getty Images)
In this Nov. 24, 2008 file photo, an IBM office is shown in New York.
In this Nov. 24, 2008 file photo, an IBM office is shown in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)
In this Nov. 14, 2008 file photo, the exterior view of Sun Microsystems Inc. headquarters is shown in Santa Clara, Calif.
In this Nov. 14, 2008 file photo, the exterior view of Sun Microsystems Inc. headquarters is shown in Santa Clara, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Sun Microsystems Inc. CEO Jonathan Schwartz gestures during a Sun conference in San Francisco, May, 6, 2008.
Sun Microsystems Inc. CEO Jonathan Schwartz gestures during a Sun conference in San Francisco, May, 6, 2008.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Assassin
Apr 6, 2009 4:41 AM CDT
Jerry Yang from Yahoo! remember him? SunMicro has been going OUT of Business for years now & they want to get greedy? Beggars can't be choosers unless they believe we are NOT in a severe Recession/Depression.

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