Time-Warner's Talks To Sell AOL Reportedly Heating Up

Is Time-Warner (TWX) about to sell AOL to Yahoo (YHOO) or Microsoft (MSFT)?

Reuters is reporting this morning that talks have “taken on a new urgency” ahead of the August 1 Yahoo shareholders meeting, at which investor Carl Icahn will attempt to seize control of the company’s board.

The story provides few deals on what’s changed in the situation, and says the structure is any deal “is not immediately clear.” Previous speculation has been that a deal with Yahoo would involve Time-Warner taking a stake in Yahoo; a Microsoft deal would likely be a straight sale of the company. It has been widely speculated that Microsoft would attempt to buy AOL if it failed in its efforts to win control of Yahoo - and that Yahoo might buy AOL in part to fend off Microsoft’s advances.