UPDATE 1-Nokia calls report of Microsoft deal "baseless"

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Wed Jun 1, 2011 11:57am EDT

* Nokia says report is "100 percent baseless"

* Website says Microsoft will buy phones business for $19bn

* Nokia shares climb back from 10 percent slide on report

* Microsoft shares fall 1.8 percent

(Adds detail and background)

HELSINKI/NEW YORK, June 1 (Reuters) - Shares in struggling mobile phone handset maker Nokia Oyj (NOK1V.HE) jumped on Wednesday in reaction to a web site report that said U.S.-based Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) had struck a deal to buy its mobile phone business for $19 billion.

Nokia called the report "100 percent baseless."

Nokia shares have been in steep decline in the past two days after its latest failure to deliver on recovery targets.

Dealers said Microsoft shares also fell on the report, which appeared on the web site www.bgr.com, citing a person called Eldar Murtazin, whom it described as an industry insider.

Microsoft and Nokia struck a deal earlier this year under which the Finnish company will move to using Microsoft software in its phones instead of its own Symbian software. Nokia's new CEO Stephen Elop is a former Microsoft executive.

"These rumours are 100 percent baseless," Nokia spokesman Doug Dawson told Reuters.

The shares were 0.8 percent lower at 4.714 euros, having dropped as much as 10.2 percent earlier in an extension of Tuesday's 18-percent slump. Volume in the stock reached six times the 90-day daily average. (Reporting by Dominc Lau in London, with Helsinki and New York Newsrooms; Writing by Andrew Callus; Editing by David Holmes)

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Comments (1)
AmateurCritic wrote:
Aside from the rumors about Microsoft buying Nokia, I’ve talked to industry people who think the relationship between MS and Nokia could be a powerful one and put them both in a strong position in the cellular handset market. However, a few days ago MS announced that it would not be offering “cheap apps” since they want to offer quality over price. However, I think they have just made a terrible marketing mistake. If consumers believe the apps will be more expensive than on other systems, they will not even consider MS/Nokia, and the deal will be dead before it ever gets off the ground. MS has a well-honed knack for shooting themselves in the foot.

Jun 01, 2011 1:49pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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