AOL will begin trading as an independent company on Thursday – separate from Time Warner .
As you likely remember, when Time Warner announced plans to merge with AOL in January 2000, the move was lauded as the beginning of a new age for the company.
But those predictions proved to be a little ambitious to say the least. By the end of the decade AOL was largely known for dragging down profits at the media conglomerate, more than anything else.
However, as an independent company, AOL will refocus on technology, online media content and branded display advertising in a bid to capture marketing dollars as they migrate online, says the Wall Street Journal.
All things considered, what’s the trade?
The November 30th edition of Barron’s called shares a bargain.
Barron's said that while AOL's top-line growth was limited, its dial-up Internet business yielded ample cash. The company's recent plans to lay off more than a third of its staff was also likely to boost profitability and cash flow, it said.
It also cited other reports saying AOL had been shopping a few of its businesses, including social network Bebo and online mapping site Mapquest. Such sales could lift the stock, Barron's said.
