[April 17, 2012]

Yahoo! Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) today reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs ("revenue ex-TAC") was $1,077 million for the first quarter of 2012, a 1 percent increase from the first quarter of 2011. Income from operations decreased 11 percent to $169 million in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $190 million in the first quarter of 2011.

GAAP revenue was $1,221 million for the first quarter of 2012, a 1 percent increase from the first quarter of 2011.

Net earnings per diluted share increased 38 percent to $0.23 in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $0.17 in the first quarter of 2011.

Financials at a Glance

"In the first quarter, Yahoo!'s results came in at the high end of our guidance range and beat consensus on revenue and profits," said Scott Thompson, CEO of Yahoo!. "We also made changes to resize the organization and establish a new leadership structure to quickly deliver the best user and advertiser experiences at scale."

Business Highlights

• Yahoo! established a new leadership structure, organizing into three main groups - Consumer, Technology and Regions - bringing resources closer to users and advertisers.
• Yahoo! is home to 11 number one properties and ranks in the top three in 21 categories in the U.S. (comScore, U.S., March 2012)
• Yahoo!'s worldwide visitors during January and February grew 7 percent year over year with minutes spent increasing 14 percent in communications and communities and 8 percent in media properties. (based on comScore, Worldwide data)
• Yahoo! debuted a variety of original comedy Web shows as a part of a collaborative effort between Yahoo! and top-tier production partners. New shows include "First Dates With Toby Harris" featuring Seth Morris (Funny or Die); "Sketchy" (Electus/Principato-Young Entertainment), and "7 Minutes in Heaven" with "Saturday Night Live" writer Mike O'Brien (Broadway Video).
• Yahoo! also debuted the new ABC-produced daily series, "Power Players," on Yahoo! News, featuring an ABC and Yahoo! News analyst team, and "Remake America," a new weekly video series that follows the lives of six real families as they strive to get back on track towards achieving "the American dream."
• Yahoo! announced the implementation of a Do Not Track (DNT) header solution that will be accessible across Yahoo!'s global network by early summer.
• The Yahoo! Board appointed five new independent directors: Alfred Amoroso, former President and CEO of Rovi Corporation; John D. Hayes, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of American Express Company; Peter Liguori, former Chief Operating Officer of Discovery Communications, Inc. and former Chairman and President of Entertainment of Fox Broadcasting Company; Thomas J. McInerney, former Chief Financial Officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp; and Maynard Webb, Chairman of LiveOps, Inc.
• To protect the investments of Yahoo! and the inventions of its employees, Yahoo! sued Facebook for infringement of ten patents. Yahoo! has invested substantial resources over many years to innovate and earn this intellectual property and the lawsuit is intended to enforce Yahoo!'s rights.

First Quarter 2012 Revenue Highlights

• Display revenue ex-TAC was $454 million, a 4 percent decrease compared to $471 million for the first quarter of 2011.
• GAAP display revenue was $511 million, a 2 percent decrease compared to $523 million for the first quarter of 2011.
• Search revenue ex-TAC was $384 million, an 8 percent increase compared to $357 million for the first quarter of 2011.
• GAAP search revenue was $470 million, a 3 percent increase compared to $455 million for the first quarter of 2011.

Cash Flow and Cash Balance

• Cash flow from operating activities for the first quarter of 2012 was $297 million, a 45 percent increase compared to $206 million for the same period of 2011.
• Free cash flow was $196 million for the first quarter of 2012, a 247 percent increase compared to $56 million for the same period of 2011.
• Cash, cash equivalents, and investments in marketable debt securities were $2,652 million at March 31, 2012 compared to $2,530 million at December 31, 2011, an increase of $122 million.
• During the first quarter of 2012, Yahoo! repurchased 5 million shares for $71 million.

Business Outlook

Revenue ex-TAC for the second quarter of 2012 is expected to be in the range of $1,030 million to $1,140 million. Based on the terms of the Search Agreement with Microsoft, Microsoft retains a revenue share of 12 percent of the net (after TAC) search revenue generated on Yahoo! Properties and Affiliate sites in transitioned markets. Yahoo! reports the net revenue it receives under the Search Agreement as revenue and no longer presents the associated TAC. Accordingly, for transitioned markets Yahoo! reports GAAP revenue associated with the Search Agreement on a net (after TAC) basis rather than a gross basis. For markets that have not yet transitioned, revenue continues to be recorded on a gross basis, and TAC is recorded as a part of total operating expenses. GAAP revenue for the second quarter of 2012 is expected to be in the range of $1,170 million to $1,290 million. Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2012 is expected to be in the range of $1,055 million to $1,095 million. Total operating expenses less TAC for the second quarter of 2012 is expected to be in the range of $915 million to $945 million, which includes $40 million to $50 million of transition-related expenses. Income from operations for the second quarter of 2012 is expected to be in the range of $115 million to $195 million. This business outlook excludes any restructuring charges arising from our plan to reshape Yahoo! for the future as these amounts are not currently estimable. These costs could have a significant impact on the business outlook amounts.

Business outlook for revenue ex-TAC is being provided to reflect the underlying dynamics of the business during the Microsoft transition and to facilitate comparisons to prior periods.

Conference Call

Yahoo! will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2012 results at 5 p.m. Eastern Time today. A live Webcast of the conference call, together with supplemental financial information, can be accessed through the Company's Investor Relations Website at http://investor.yahoo.com/results.cfm. In addition, an archive of the Webcast can be accessed through the same link. An audio replay of the call will be available for one week following the conference call by calling (888) 286-8010 or (617) 801-6888, reservation number: 37533959.

Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and its attachments include the following financial measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"): revenue ex-TAC; free cash flow; total operating expenses less TAC; non-GAAP net income; and non-GAAP net income per diluted share. These measures may be different than non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Explanations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of these financial measures to the GAAP financial measures the Company considers most comparable are included in the accompanying "Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income," "Supplemental Financial Data," "GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income Reconciliation," and "Business Outlook."

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. And Yahoo!'s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com).

"Affiliates" refers to the third-party entities that have integrated Yahoo!'s advertising offerings into their Websites or other offerings (those Websites and other offerings, "Affiliate sites").

"Search Agreement" refers to the Search and Advertising Services and Sales Agreement between Yahoo! and Microsoft Corporation, as amended.

"TAC" refers to traffic acquisition costs. TAC consists of payments to Affiliates and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to Yahoo! Properties.

"Yahoo! Properties" refers to the online properties and services that Yahoo! provides to users.

This press release and its attachments contain forward-looking statements concerning Yahoo!'s expected financial performance (including, without limitation, statements and information in the Business Outlook section and the quotation from management), as well as Yahoo!'s strategic and operational plans. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the costs and management distraction attendant to a proxy contest; the impact of management and organizational changes; the implementation and results of Yahoo!'s ongoing strategic and cost initiatives; Yahoo!'s ability to compete with new or existing competitors; reduction in spending by, or loss of, advertising customers; risks related to Yahoo!'s regulatory environment; interruptions or delays in the provision of Yahoo!'s services; security breaches; acceptance by users of new products and services; risks related to joint ventures and the integration of acquisitions; risks related to Yahoo!'s international operations; failure to manage growth and diversification; adverse results in litigation, including intellectual property infringement claims and derivative and class actions; Yahoo!'s ability to protect its intellectual property and the value of its brands; dependence on key personnel; dependence on third parties for technology, services, content, and distribution; general economic conditions and changes in economic conditions; transition and implementation risks associated with the Search Agreement with Microsoft Corporation; and risks that the benefits of the Framework Agreement Yahoo! entered into with Alibaba Group, Softbank Corporation and certain other parties regarding Alipay may not be realized. All information set forth in this press release and its attachments is as of April 17, 2012. Yahoo! does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances; however, Yahoo! may update its Business Outlook or any portion thereof at any time in its discretion. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, which is on file with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in those sections in Yahoo!'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, which will be filed with the SEC in the second quarter of 2012.

Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Yahoo! Inc.

Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

This press release and its attachments include the non-GAAP financial measures of revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs ("revenue ex-TAC"), free cash flow, total operating expenses less TAC, non-GAAP net income, and non-GAAP net income per diluted share, which are reconciled to revenue, cash flow from operating activities, total operating expenses, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share - diluted, which we believe are the most comparable GAAP measures. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for internal managerial purposes and to facilitate period-to-period comparisons. We describe limitations specific to each non-GAAP financial measure below. Management generally compensates for limitations in the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying on comparable GAAP financial measures and providing investors with a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure or measures. Further, management uses non-GAAP financial measures only in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business and operating costs. These non-GAAP measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, revenue, cash flow from operating activities, total operating expenses, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share - diluted calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Revenue ex-TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as GAAP revenue less TAC. TAC consists of payments made to third-party entities that have integrated our advertising offerings into their Websites or other offerings (those Websites and other offerings, "Affiliate sites") and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to Yahoo!'s online properties and services ("Yahoo! Properties"). Based on the terms of the Search Agreement with Microsoft, Microsoft retains a revenue share of 12 percent of the net (after TAC) search revenue generated on Yahoo! Properties and Affiliate sites in transitioned markets. Yahoo! reports the net revenue it receives under the Search Agreement as revenue and no longer presents the associated TAC. Accordingly, for transitioned markets Yahoo! reports GAAP revenue associated with the Search Agreement on a net (after TAC) basis rather than a gross basis. For markets that have not yet transitioned, revenue continues to be recorded on a gross basis, and TAC is recorded as a part of operating expenses. We present revenue ex-TAC to provide investors a metric used by the Company for evaluation and decision-making purposes during the Microsoft transition and to provide investors with comparable revenue numbers when comparing periods preceding, during and following the transition period. We present revenue ex-TAC business outlook to reflect the underlying dynamics of the business during the Microsoft transition and to facilitate comparisons to prior periods. A limitation of revenue ex-TAC is that it is a measure which we have defined for internal and investor purposes that may be unique to the Company, and therefore it may not enhance the comparability of our results to other companies in our industry who have similar business arrangements but address the impact of TAC differently. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of revenue and total operating expenses, which includes TAC in non-transitioned markets.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as cash flow from operating activities (adjusted to include excess tax benefits from stock-based awards), less acquisition of property and equipment, net and dividends received from equity investees. We consider free cash flow to be a liquidity measure which provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the acquisition of property and equipment, which can then be used for strategic opportunities including, among others, investing in the Company's business, making strategic acquisitions, strengthening the balance sheet, and repurchasing stock. A limitation of free cash flow is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporates all cash movements during the period.

Total operating expenses less TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as total operating expenses excluding TAC. We consider total operating expenses less TAC to be a useful indicator of our operating costs. We exclude TAC from this measure because TAC generally varies based on the revenue we earn from traffic supplied by certain third parties, and doing so assists investors in understanding the operating cost structure of our business. A limitation associated with the non-GAAP measure of total operating expenses less TAC is that it does not reflect TAC. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of total operating expenses and income from operations, each of which includes TAC.

Non-GAAP net income is defined as net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. excluding certain gains, losses, expenses, and their related tax effects that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results. We consider non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share to be profitability measures which facilitate the forecasting of our results for future periods and allow for the comparison of our results to historical periods. A limitation of non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share is that they do not include all items that impact our net income and net income per diluted share for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share - diluted, both of which include the gains, losses, expenses and related tax effects that are excluded from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share.

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