CompuServe Corp is not saying anything, but rumors of its imminent acquisition by America Online Inc and others persist, with the price presumably rising above the supposed $1bn all the time. The latest rumors involve German media giant Bertelsmann AG, which has a 5% stake in AOL, which is said to be joining in on the discussions with H&R Block Inc, which owns 80% of CompuServe. And yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had New York investment firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe talking to H&R Block separately from AOL-Bertelsmann, about an offer for the beleaguered online services firm that involved H&R retaining a minority stake, which it does not want to do.
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