Verizon is said to be near a deal to acquire Yahoo

The end of Yahoo as an independent company may be near and Verizon, long considered the leading contender to buy the aging web pioneer, is the most likely acquirer.

The two companies are in advanced talks over a takeover of Yahoo that could be worth close to $5 billion, a person briefed on the matter said Friday.

Any transaction would be for Yahoo’s core internet business, although it is unclear whether a deal would also include other assets like real estate or patents.

Both companies are hoping to announce a deal as early as next week, the person said. Verizon is to report earnings Tuesday.

Still, no final deal has been reached and the talks could still falter, the person cautioned. One of the other finalists could also re-emerge with a higher bid.

A spokesman for Verizon declined to comment, while a Yahoo spokeswoman said the company would not comment “until we have a definitive agreement to announce” because it wanted to maintain “the integrity of the process.” The state of discussions between Yahoo and Verizon was reported earlier by Bloomberg News.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Verizon is said to be near a deal to acquire Yahoo."