Yahoo says board to consider Microsoft offer

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc confirmed on Friday that it had received an unsolicited bid from Microsoft Corp to acquire the company and that its board of directors would consider the $44.6 billion deal.

Yahoo said in a statement that its board would evaluate the proposal "carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo's strategic plans and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders."

(Reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)