Daily Archives: May 11, 2009

Daily View: Microsoft’s first visit to the bond markets

May 11, 2009 9:37 pm by morning call

In today’s Daily View video segment on FT.com, Lex columnist Dan McCrum ponders Microsoft’s decision to borrow in the bond markets for the first time, even though it has $25bn of cash on hand (news story here.)

His conclusion: like the cost-cutting announced earlier this year, this is another sign that the software giant is thinking harder about deploying its assets more efficiently – in this case, its powerful balance sheet. But for long-suffering shareholders such moves are of only marginal interest. Read more

Posted in Tech |

Richard Waters The transatlantic trust-busters ponder Google

May 11, 2009 6:49 pm by Richard Waters

There is clearly something in the air in Brussels and Washington, and Silicon Valley had better watch out – particularly Google.

Christine Varney’s fighting words on Monday make it clear that US trust-busters want to wipe the slate clean after the Bush years. That brings back memories of some notorious off-the-cuff words Varney threw out during a panel session last year:

For me, Microsoft is so last century. They are not the problem. I think we’re going to continue to see a problem, potentially, with Google.

Now we hear from one usually well-informed source that Neelie Kroes (pictured), Europe’s competition commissioner, has been raising the same general concerns, albeit in a private setting. Read more

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Posted in Internet |