AOL Stock Surges in Premarket Trading, Verizon Interested in Deal

AOL's stock surged in premarket trading Tuesday, on a report that the company has been contacted by Verizon about a potential buyout or joint venture. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said that Verizon has approached AOL about a deal that would expand its mobile-video offerings. Verizon is said to be mostly interested in AOL's programmatic advertising technology, or automated buying and selling of ads online. Verizon hasn't made a formal proposal and an agreement isn't imminent, Bloomberg reported. Verizon declined to comment on the report. And AOL did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shares of AOL gained $3.51, or 7.9%, to $48.25 before the market open, while Verizon's stock added 29 cents to $46.86.