Don’t Move AOL, Inc. (AOL) to Your Inbox Just Yet

There have been high hopes for Yahoo! since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO last July. Mayer’s impressive background and stint at Google goosed shares after she took the helm. Mayer acknowledges that elevating Yahoo! to its once lofty stature and profitability is a long journey, but she says she is committed to and up for the task. Mayer’s plans for turning the company around includes overhauling a dozen of its online services to increase the amount of time users spend on its websites. The results are expected to be a “chain reaction of growth.”

Whisphers have swirled that Mayer may make Yahoo social after she commented that “One of the things that people really want to do is share their interests with friends.” A hook-up with Facebook is possible.

Mayer’s strategy appears ambitious, yet totally possible. With 700 million active users every month, Yahoo! continues to be one of the most visited sites on the Web.

Another site making its presence known is the professional networking site Linkedin Corporation (NYSE:LNKD). The site aims to help individuals further their careers or simply share their views with like-minded people. The company went public in 2011 at $45 a share. The stock has been on a tear since then, and now trades upwards of $150. Fourth quarter 2012 results marked the seventh consecutive quarter that LinkedIn handily beat on both earnings and revenue. Even better, guidance for the full year ahead is bullish.

LinkedIn has been growing not simply thanks to a growing member base, but thanks to a growing “paying” member base, which includes Fortune 500 companies with deep pockets. These entities are ready and eager to spend money to find top-notch and competitive talent.

While AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL)’s results look promising and may have sent some bears into hibernation, the company has a lot more to prove before a bullish stance is cemented.

For now, its looks sensible to filter AOL into the Spam folder.

The article Don’t Move AOL to Your Inbox Just Yet originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Diane Alter.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.