If Yahoo Sells Off Its Core Business, What's Left?

As Yahoo struggles to keep pace with competitors, the board of the iconic Internet company is reportedly considering selling off its core business, which includes its Internet search division, websites such as Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Mail, social blogging company Tumblr and mobile analytics firm Flurry. The Sunnyvale, California, company also has a substantial advertising services division.

If it unloads the entire core, Yahoo would be left with just two assets: stakes in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the Yahoo Japan joint venture.

Both of those assets are publicly traded and therefore easy to value, according to Laura Martin, an entertainment and Internet analyst at investment banking and asset management firm Needham & Company.

Yahoo’s 15 percent stake in Alibaba is now worth about $32 billion, and its 35 percent stake in Yahoo Japan is worth about $8.5 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Other than the investments in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, the value of the remaining company is said to be less than zero.

After a successful career at Google, Marissa Mayer became president and CEO of Yahoo in July 2012. She was tasked with jump-starting the struggling Internet company.

Richard Holway, tech analyst at U.K.-based TechMarketView, said Mayer has “failed in her role” because she hasn't succeeded in monetizing much of the company’s content.

According to CNBC, the Yahoo board plans to meet Wednesday and discuss selling off the company’s core businesses in addition to its Alibaba shares.

Shares of the tech company were up 7 percent on news of a potential sale.