Yandex plans own internet browser: report

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Yandex, Russia's most popular internet search engine, plans to develop its own internet browser to defend its market share, business daily Vedomosti reported on Thursday.

The daily, citing unnamed sources within Yandex, reported that the browser should be available in the fourth quarter.

Yandex, known as the 'Russian Google' and which raised $1.4 billion when it floated on the U.S. Nasdaq stock exchange in May 2010, declined to comment.

In the past, Yandex has accused Google in the past of making it difficult to use rival search engines, including Yahoo and Yandex, with Google's Chrome browser.

According to LiveInternet, Yandex's share of the Russian search market averaged 60.4 percent in the second quarter.

In July, Yandex reaffirmed guidance for 2012 revenue growth of 40-45 percent in rouble terms, after 60 percent in 2011.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Additional reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Douglas Busvine)

(lidia.kelly@thomsonreuters.com; +7 495 775 1242; Reuters Messaging: lidia.kelly.reuters.com@reuters.net)