Goldman Sachs Believes Yahoo!'s Next CEO Will Be Internal Hire

Goldman Sachs has published a research report on Yahoo!

after the company announcement that CEO Scott Thompson would be leaving the company. In the report, Goldman Sachs writes, "We believe the company could choose an internal candidate, such as Mr. Levinsohn, as CEO, given that an external candidate would likely involve an extended process. Mr. Thompson had made early organizational changes, including a significant round of lay-offs, to focus the company on commerce and data. However, whether the incoming CEO would continue to follow this strategy, or implement a different strategic direction, is an open question. Should Mr. Levinson assume the CEO role permanently, we believe he may choose to focus on content and advertising." Goldman Sachs maintains its Sell rating and $15 price target on Yahoo!, which closed Friday at $15.19.