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TomTom takes sharp upturn on Microsoft rumours

Take a left at the takeover speculation... and then slam on the brakes... ?

Tags: sat nav, tomtom, gps, microsoft

By Graeme Wearden

Published: 6 July 2006 08:20 GMT

Shares in GPS navigation company TomTom rose sharply on Tuesday amid speculation the company could be a takeover target for Microsoft.

By the close of trading on Tuesday afternoon in Amsterdam, TomTom's share price had risen by 6.3 per cent to €32.41. This, according to reports, was fuelled by rumours that Microsoft could be planning a bid.

TomTom did not respond to requests for comment. The company's chief operating officer Alexander Ribbink has played down the speculation, telling Reuters: "That's news to me. I haven't heard about it".

By Wednesday lunchtime, TomTom's share price had slipped by 2.8 per cent to €31.50.

TomTom's software is used in handheld computers and in-car navigation units. Having become the market leader in the consumer space, the company is now moving into the business sector with a fleet-management product supporting GPS and GPRS.

Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK

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