Microsoft's Bill Gates, in an NBC interview with Tom Brokaw, said a deal with Yahoo is unlikely, according to a CNBC report Friday.
Yahoo shares fell 2.81 percent to US$20.77 in late morning trading, as the broader markets also slumped.
During his interview, Gates said "I don't think that one is likely", in reference to a Microsoft-Yahoo deal. He added, however, that he believes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will find "plenty of other opportunities".
Gates' prediction comes as he prepares Friday to wrap up his last day of full-time work at Microsoft. Come Monday, he will serve as non-executive chairman and work part time at the software company he co-founded.
Shares of Microsoft were essentially flat, trading up 0.43 percent at US$27.87 a share in morning trading.
This article was first published as a blog on CNET News.com.
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