Yahoo! Finance Host on Facebook Purchasing WhatsApp: ‘It’s a Brilliant Deal’

‘This deal, to me, is pretty dang smart’

Wall Street sees sense in Facebook's $19 billion WhatsApp purchase (Reuters)

Facebook Inc's purchase of fast-growing mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion stunned the markets but analysts said the deal made strategic sense as it will solidify the social network's position as a leader in mobile.

Facebook shares were down 3.1 percent before the bell on Thursday, representing a loss of about $5.4 billion in market value.

At least two brokerages downgraded their recommendations on Facebook to "hold" but the overwhelming majority of analysts remain positive on the stock.

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