Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Here is official news release from Bloomberg

"D.E. Shaw Sells Its Entire Google Stake, Pares Tech Holdings2006-05-15 17:08 (New York)By Jason Kelly May 15 (Bloomberg) -- D.E. Shaw & Co., the world's biggesthedge-fund firm, sold its stake in Google Inc. as the stock fell6 percent during the first quarter, according to a governmentfiling. D.E. Shaw's sale of 1.46 million Google shares was itsbiggest during the period ended March 31, according to aregulatory filing today. The stake in Google, owner of theworld's most-used largest Internet search engine, was worth about$606.9 million at the end of last year, according to the filing. As the firm, run by David Shaw, sold Google, it bought 1.39million shares in Internet search rival Yahoo! Inc., worth $44.9million at the end of the quarter. Mountain View, California-based Google in January said its profit missed analysts'estimates, snapping a streak of better-than-expected results thatdated back to its initial public offering in 2004. Google is accelerating innovation to fend off competitorsincluding Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo, Google Chief ExecutiveOfficer Eric Schmidt said May 11 at the company's annualshareholder meeting. Shares of Google rose $2.07 to $376.20 at 4 p.m. today inNasdaq Stock Market composite trading. Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo gained 22 cents to $31.03. Shaw spokesman Trey Beck didn't immediately return a phonecall seeking comment. New York-based D.E. Shaw's total holdings were worth about$38.9 billion at the end of the period, according to the filingmade with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm,founded by Shaw in 1988, bought 5.62 million shares of Royal Bankof Canada, that country's largest bank, during the first quarter. Cisco, Apple Shaw, a former computer science professor at ColumbiaUniversity in New York, is known for using sophisticated computerprograms to pick stocks. Of the 10 stakes that Shaw sold completely, five wererelated to computers, telecommunications or media, includingVodafone Group Plc and Comcast Corp. Shaw also pared its holdingin Cisco Systems Inc., its fourth-biggest holding, by 3.8 millionshares. Shaw's biggest holding is a 9.75-million share stake inApple Computer Inc., worth $611 million at the end of thequarter. The firm increased its holdings of Hewlett-Packard Co.,its eighth-biggest position, by 2.6 million shares.--Editor: MoodyStory illustration: To chart the share performance of Google, see{GOOG US GP }. For a rundown of funds' activitiesduring the first quarter, see {NI 13F }.To contact the reporter on this story:Jason Kelly in Atlanta at (1)(404) 507-1307 orjkelly14@bloomberg.net.To contact the editors responsible for this story:Emma Moody at (1)(212) 617-3504 or emoody@bloomberg.net."

No comments: