No merit to report of Akamai-Google deal: source

Stock Market Predictions

SAN FRANCISCO (Global Markets) - A report on Wednesday that Akamai Technologies Inc was close to being acquired by Google Inc is without merit, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Shares of Akamai jumped more than 11 percent at one point in after hours trading on Wednesday, following the report by technology blog Business Insider citing "multiple ad tech sources" who were not identified.

A source familiar with the matter told Global Markets that the report of a deal was baseless.

Representatives from Google and Akamai said the companies do not comment on rumors.

Shares of Akamai, which are off more than 50 percent from their 52-week high of $54.65, gave up most of their after-hours gains later on Wednesday, and were trading up 2.9 percent at

$24.04.

Akamai, whose service improves the performance of websites, is a long-running subject of takeover rumors. Last week, there were reports that the company could be acquired by Verizon Communications or International Business Machines Corp, said Mark Kelleher, an analyst with Dougherty & Co.

"Ever since I can remember there's been theories of who could come in" and acquire Akamai, he said.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Richard Chang and Carol Bishopric)