Share

Top Twitter suitor walks away - report

San Francisco - Twitter shares nose-dived on after the Financial Times reported a top suitor walked away, making it likely the one-to-many messaging service will be left to fly solo.

Salesforce.com has ruled out bidding for Twitter, with chief executive Marc Benioff quoted as telling the financial daily that "we've walked away" because it wasn't a proper fit.

Twitter shares were down more than six percent to $16.68 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The tumble came a week after Twitter shares went into a tailspin due to reports that the list of promising suitors was dwindling, with Disney, Apple and Google parent Alphabet not planning any merger moves.

Salesforce was seen as the most likely remaining contender. Twitter was believed to still be interested in a merger, but the prospects of a match have seemingly grown dim.

After falling to its lowest point ever earlier this year, Twitter shares were boosted recently on hopes the company will gain traction or a make a promising match with a suitor.

Twitter, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, has yet to make a profit. Co-founder Jack Dorsey returned as chief executive last year but has yet to ignite growth, with the number of users stagnating at slightly more than 300 million for several quarters.

The social messaging platform would be a big-ticket item, with its value based on the share price topping $11.77bn on Friday.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.43
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.08
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
19.85
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.17
+0.4%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.4%
Platinum
997.50
+1.3%
Palladium
980.75
+1.0%
Gold
2,364.92
+0.9%
Silver
28.20
-0.4%
Brent Crude
83.88
+0.4%
Top 40
72,181
+1.2%
All Share
78,464
+1.2%
Resource 10
63,450
+2.5%
Industrial 25
108,579
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,955
+1.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders