Microsoft wins award for years shortest media release

Steve Ballmer was at it again earlier today, telling the audience at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo in Orlando that Microsoft acquiring Yahoo still “makes sense.” A small comment perhaps, but enough to make the market think that Microsoft may be interesting in acquiring Yahoo again, pushing YHOO shares up from a low of $11.28 to $13.63, before they closed at the end of the day at $12.99, or a one day rise of 10.55%. YHOO stock in after market trading is up another 3.7% to $13.47.

With Ballmer causing a rise in Yahoo stock above the NASDAQ rise for the day, Microsoft had to respond. This is all they had to say:

“Our position hasn’t changed. Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo!; there are no discussions between the companies.”

They could have tried a little hard in getting the release shorter though. Like “It’s just Steve, ignore anything he says” or “We like messing with markets, but we ain’t buying.”

My only disappointment: I don’t have a paper version of the release to demonstrate its true brevity ?