SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Yahoo's stock rose more than 5 percent on Wednesday after the company fired its CEO following more than 21â„2 years of financial lethargy.
Tuesday's ouster came as investors were convinced that Carol Bartz couldn't steer the Internet company to a long-promised turnaround.
To fill the void, Yahoo's board named Tim Morse, its chief financial officer, as interim CEO. Bartz, who became CEO in 2009, lured Morse away from computer chip maker Altera Corp. two years ago to help her cuts costs. Yahoo said it is looking for a permanent replacement.
Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock, also a target of shareholder frustration, informed Bartz about the move over the phone, according to an e-mail the outgoing CEO sent from her iPad that was obtained by the All Things D technology blog. The blog first reported Bartz's ouster.
Yahoo didn't return requests for comment Tuesday and Wednesday.
Bartz's rude dismissal "made you feel a little bit like you were watching some reality TV show," Forrester Research analyst Shar VanBoskirk said Wednesday.
The disappointing performance was reflected in Yahoo's stock price, which closed Tuesday at $12.91. That's 81 cents, or 7 percent, higher than where Yahoo shares stood when Bartz was hired as CEO. During the same period, Google's stock price has risen by more than $200, or 66 percent, and the technology-driven Nasdaq composite index has climbed by 60 percent. A group of investors led by Goldman Sachs Group concluded privately held Facebook is worth $50 billion in an appraisal done earlier this year. That's triple Yahoo's current market value.