Merger Mania

Lately, every day there has been some speculation and or news on a new online marketing firm being picked up for millions… or even BILLIONS of dollars. Now that Microsoft has just picked up aQuantive for $6 Billion, we have seen the BIG 3 all take on new ad companies in their heavy competition to take each other out. We even had some exciting rumors on Microsoft finally deciding to buy Yahoo, but this ended up not happening. Yahoo then went on to buy RightMedia for $680 million. Microsoft also was very interested in 24/7 Media, but then WPP Group (the world’s No. 2 advertising firm) went on to purchase 24/7 Media for $649 million! When Google had originally purchased DoubleClick for an amazing $3.1 billion, some said it was way overpriced and Google was insane. Now that Microsoft has purchased aQuantive for an even more insane $6 Billion… people are now saying Google got DoubleClick as a steal and Microsoft bought aQuantive through panicking.

Here’s a quick review of what’s been going on lately…

Here’s a quick list of the lonely ad firms that have yet to be picked up… with ValueClick being the main target of speculation on being picked up next. Many felt ValueClick was next to be picked up and that Microsoft would have been the company to do it. In comparison between aQuantive and ValueClick, their 2006 reveue numbers are nearly the same. (ValueClick 2006 Revenue: $545.6 M /Income: $62.6 M – aQuantive 2006 Revenue: $442.2 M / Income: $54.0 Million). Based on their numbers and the buyout craze, ValueClick could be valued for $6 BILLION+. While ValueClick is the only public company below, the other two are still industry leaders in advertising.

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14 Comments

      2. then I suppose you will get much richer than before if ValueClick is taken by any of the big company. 🙂

  2. Wow, thanks for the review. That is so interesting…I wonder who will pick up ValueClick.

  3. its crazy how much money is being spent

    are you gonna post about the 'feedburner' rumor?

  4. Just wait and see if microsoft willing to waste another $6 billion on ValueClick

  5. "Shares (Of Valueclick) jumped 11% Monday after an 8% rally Friday that was spurred in large measure by Microsoft's 6 billion plan to acquire aQuantive." (The Street") Zac, i hope you invested in Valueclick !!

    1. Haha, I just saw the news and stock price now. I unloaded some on friday at the $31 high,… still sitting on another 1000 shares! Someone will be buying ValueClick 🙂

      2. You made a really good investment. I keep thinking back on the day when I told my parents to invest our whole families savings on google stock when it first went public. I was a sophomore in high school. I'm still mad that my parents didn't listen to me.

  6. Hey Zac what do you think of "Akamai rival Limelight Networks priced its proposed initial public offering in hopes of raising as much as $198.7 million on Monday."

    Good idea…bad idea??

    1. I don't follow Akamai or Limelight Networks much, but I wouldn't be surprised if the buy outs of advertising networks continues for quite some time.

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