Microsoft has made an unsolicited offer of $45 billion dollars to acquire struggling Yahoo!.  The news jolted the price of (YHOO) stock up by 50% on Friday morning.  Both Yahoo! and Microsoft (MSFT) have struggled mightily in the internet race against Google (GOOG).

The bid gives Yahoo! $31/share in cash and stock.  That is a huge premium over Thursday’s closing price of $19.18.

Yahoo rose 47% to 28.26 after Microsoft offered to buy the Internet company for $44.6 billion, a move designed to pick up a struggling rival as both fight against archrival Google. The offer, $31 a share in cash and stock, is a 62% premium to Thursday’s closing price of $19.18. Microsoft shares fell 4.9% to 30.99. Shares of Google fell 8.2% to $517.90 on news of the deal, and after posting revenue and profit short of Wall Street expectations late Thursday.

DISCLAIMER: I own Yahoo! stock and have for about two years.  My fingers are crossed.