Did Microsoft buy Nokia last week?

Eldar Murtazin, who seems to have his finger on the pulse of all things Nokia, has tweeted yesterday that Microsoft has decided to purchase Nokia for $19 billion. Nokia, who recently released a profit warning for the next quarter, has seen its share price plunge by 20% over the last 48 hours, and its share holders may be desperate for a white knight to take the shares of their hands.

Microsoft has previously said they are not interested in buying Nokia, and Stephen Elop himself denied them, telling Bloomberg “The rumours are all over the place. There’s no basis for them.”

Even if Microsoft does not have any intent to buy Nokia, at a market cap of only $ 25.4 billion at its current share price,  the company would certainly be vulnerable to another strategic buyers swooping in, which would certainly force Microsoft’s hand, given its reliance on the Finnish company to take Windows Phone to the mass market.

Via BGR.com