Microsoft expands in Canada amid U.S. visa crunch

(Reuters) - It may signal the start of a new hiring trend, with other U.S. high-tech firms following in Microsoft's footsteps to Canada, where lawyers say it is easier for foreign nationals to obtain work credentials.




U.S. businesses want Congress to lift quotas on the number of visas the government issues to skilled professionals such as the software engineers that Microsoft employs. But as recently as last week lawmakers rejected legislation that would have addressed their concerns. Canada doesn't impose quotas on the number of visas it issues each year.


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Office Depot shares off on sales warning

(Reuters) - The Delray Beach, Florida-based company attributed the first-quarter decline to lower sales of personal computers because of the launch of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista operating system, which has gotten mixed reviews from consumers, as well as a drop in demand for office furniture.




A "weak" economy has also hurt its North American Business Solutions division, the company said.


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Microsoft to buy stake in China's Sichuan Changhong

(Reuters) - Under a memorandum of understanding, the Chinese company
would place 15 million new shares with Microsoft at a price of
6.27 yuan each, a 37 percent discount to its last traded market
price of 9.93 yuan.




The deal would give Microsoft a stake of nearly 1 percent
in Sichuan Changhong, according to Reuters calculations. The
U.S. software giant would be a long-term, strategic investor,
Sichuan Changhong said.


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Bayer, EnerNOC, 99 Cents Only, Focus Media, Sepracor: U.S. Equity Movers

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares are having unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges
today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names.
Shares prices are as of 1:10 p.m. New York time.

AQuantive Inc. (AQNT US) rose $27.85, or 78 percent, to
$63.72 and traded as high as $63.90. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT US)
agreed to buy the owner of the largest independent online-
advertising agency for about $6 billion to expand its online
advertising services. AQuantive shareholders will receive $66.50
in cash, Microsoft said in a statement, almost double the
company's last closing share price.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Microsoft to buy Web ad firm aQuantive

(Reuters) - In the biggest acquisition ever made by the world's No. 1 software maker, Microsoft said it would pay aQuantive shareholders $66.50 a share, a hefty premium to the company's closing share price of $35.87 on Thursday.




Shares of aQuantive shot to $63.95 in morning Nasdaq trade while Microsoft fell 1.1 percent to $30.64.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News