Google interested in DoubleClick purchase - WSJ

NEW YORK, April 2 (Reuters) - Google Inc. (GOOG.O) has emerged along with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) as a contender to buy DoubleClick Inc., presenting competition that stands to increase the final sale price of the online-advertising company, people familiar with the situation said in The Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft has appeared less likely to win the bidding as the potential price for the company surpassed $2 billion, people familiar with the situation said in the Journal, but it is possible that Microsoft will counter.

Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O) and Time Warner Inc.'s (TWX.N) AOL online unit also have talked to DoubleClick -- which is majority-owned by San Francisco private-equity firm Hellman & Friedman -- though it is unclear whether AOL is still in the race, these people said in the Journal.