How Did Microsoft Corporation’s 5 Largest Buyouts Turn Out?

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) shareholders awoke Monday morning to some incredible news that MSFT had bought LinkedIn (LNKD) for $26.2 billion. While LNKD stock surged 46.6% on the unexpected news, MSFT stock was down 2.6% on Monday.

Microsoft MSFT stockMSFT shareholders are understandably leery of such a large asking price for LNKD.

The LNKD deal is one of the biggest internet mergers of all time, but it’s one of several huge MSFT buyouts in recent years. How did the five biggest deals turn out? Here’s a look back.

5. MSFT buys Mojang for $2.5 billion (2014)

MSFT acquired Mojang, makers of the hit mobile video game “Minecraft,” in an attempt to lure customers to its struggling Windows smartphone system. From 2009 to 2014, “Minecraft” had sold more than 50 million copies across smartphone, PC and videogame console platforms. Unfortunately for shareholders, MSFT continues to lose traction in the smartphone market, and not even Mojang could make Windows phones competitive with Apple (AAPL) or Alphabet(GOOGL) devices.

4. MSFT buys aQuantive for $6.3 billion (2007)

MSFT’s buyout of aQuantive was…

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