Yahoo Reports $303.4 Million Loss in 4th Quarter 2008

Meets Analysts Estimates - Shares Go Higher

[martinibuster]

As reported in Bloomberg News [bloomberg.com]

Yahoo!... reported a fourth-quarter loss because of reorganization costs and international expenses. Sales met analysts' estimates, sending the shares higher.

The loss was $303.4 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with a profit of $205.7 million, or 15 cents, a year earlier...

[caine]

Yahoo's Loss [news.bbc.co.uk], reported by BBC

But analysts said the company had weathered the downturn better than expected, with the loss mainly due to one-off costs.

[tootricky]

"One off costs" = Write downs.

They are still a minus on the balance sheet and additionally shows are poorly they have invested recently.

[frontpage]

Yahoo is in decline. Yahoo search? Terrible. Yahoo directory? Out of date. I really don't know what function it has as I never have a reason to visit their site.

[Bentler]

I really don't know what function it has as I never have a reason to visit their site.

Discussion boards and news, some nice reviews & maps, and their stores perhaps. Being first has been a great advantage for Yahoo to stake out territory and bend traffic flow probabilities to their own offerings.

[johnnie]

Maybe microsoft will take advantage of the low share price to do a hostile bid?

[StoutFiles]

Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Yahoo Games, and Yahoo Answers are all pretty popular.

[roots]

Yahoo is in decline. Yahoo search? Terrible. Yahoo directory? Out of date. I really don't know what function it has as I never have a reason to visit their site.

flickr, but I never saw a banner there :)

[Hester]

If Yahoo go bust or get sold what happens to Flickr? Will it be sold to Google or cease altogether (gulp).

[JS_Harris]

Yahoo's new website template being tested by select users has them promoting Gmail and AOL mail on the same page as their own email service. They're also now a member of the eBay affiliate program and have a handy "check your ebay" link filled with affiliate links.

These don't seem like the makings of a top notch company.

[bears5122]

Their fraudulent search partners are killing them. I can't fathom why someone in that office can't figure out why people are dropping them.

[Hugene]

They have some great properties:
Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Games
Yahoo Fantasy Sports
Yahoo Answers
Flickr
Delicious
Alibaba

All these tools are absolute leaders in their field. The odd thing about Yahoo is that the sum of its parts is worth more than the whole.

What they need is:
1) SEARCH : fix it and make it the candy that makes people go to yahoo first
2) Then, once people go to Yahoo, push all these great tools they have and minimize the content push.
3) Do like G, use other people's content.

[Slinger]

Everybody forgot the most basic thing Yahoo offers besides Search...EMAIL

Zillions of people use Yahoo Email