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Twitter Takeover Rumors Are Reignited

Last week, Twitter's stock jumped more than 4 percent after Twitter co-founder Ev Williams told Bloomberg TV the tech firm has to consider all its options after being asked about whether it can remain an independent company.

(TNS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Speculation that Twitter could sell itself to another company has reignited, and don't expect the takeover rumors or skepticism to fizzle out anytime soon.

The company's board of directors is scheduled to meet Thursday, Sept. 8, and will be discussing Twitter's fate as a stand-alone company and the possibility of more layoffs, technology blog Recode reported Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

Twitter did not respond when asked about the rumors.

Last week, Twitter's stock jumped more than 4 percent after Twitter co-founder Ev Williams told Bloomberg TV the tech firm has to consider all its options after being asked about whether it can remain an independent company.

Twitter, which has struggled to attract new users and hit Wall Street's expectations, has been facing takeover rumors for more than a year, but a buyout hasn't come to fruition. Meanwhile, the company's stock has dropped even after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey returned in 2015 to lead the company as its new CEO.

Some analysts are taking these renewed takeover rumors with a grain of salt. Despite Twitter's struggles, an acquisition deal could come with a high price tag.

"I think a lot of people are not sure what to make of Twitter. They don't know if Twitter is going to have long-term staying power or if it's going to be overtaken in terms of relevance by the likes of Instagram or Snapchat," said Scott Kessler, an analyst with S&P Global Market Intelligence.

While companies such as Facebook and Google have been making big acquisitions and rolling out new features for its users, Twitter has lagged behind. Pointing to Twitter's declining stock price and executive departures, Kessler said that there's been a lot of disappointment with Dorsey's performance as CEO in the last year.

Other analysts say that Twitter is still a major player when it comes to digital advertising, which could make it an enticing purchase. With 313 million monthly active users, the company has been inking deals, including with the NFL to stream live sports and other events, rolled out new anti-harassment tools, launched a new marketing campaign and made other changes. Potential suitors could include Google, Facebook, Apple, Verizon and others.

"It's always something that investors have to be mindful of, but the question is if it's more reasonable now, six months or five years from now and that's impossible to say," said Brian Wieser, an analyst with Pivotal Research Group.

In June, business-oriented social media company LinkedIn was bought by Microsoft for $26.2 billion and some investors and analysts were asking if Twitter was next. In August, there were unconfirmed reports that Twitter investors Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer were going to purchase the company together, sending Twitter's stock up nearly 9 percent.

But some analysts remain skeptical that a buyout will happen this year.

Dorsey has been leading the company for only a year; the company has been launching new efforts, including around live streaming sports games; and there's a belief that the board supports Dorsey, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Bob Peck wrote in a note on Tuesday.

Even if Twitter wanted to sell itself, Peck estimates the acquisition deal would have to reach $18 billion.

"The sheer size, coupled with the rich multiple and uniqueness of Twitter, limit the potential list of acquirers," Peck wrote.

In July, Twitter's stock tumbled more than 11 percent in after-hours trading to $16.40 per share when it reported second-quarter sales that missed Wall Street's expectations. The company's forecast for third-quarter revenue was also lower than expected.

Shares have rebounded after the takeover rumors returned. On Tuesday, Twitter's stock closed up 1.9 percent at $19.93 per share.

©2016 the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.