Dec. 29--Groupon shares closed up about 1.5 percent Monday, likely on a rumor that the daily deal and e-commerce company has a potential buyer for a business unit.
Groupon's stock closed at $8.25 per share.
The Korea Times, a daily newspaper in South Korea, reported Friday that Goldman Sachs is considering acquiring shares of Groupon's Ticket Monster Korea. Groupon told analysts in October that it was exploring strategic alternatives for Ticket Monster, which it acquired this year for $260 million.
Jeff Houston, managing director at Barrington Research, said Groupon is in 47 countries and can't invest as much as it wants to in each of them.
Chicago-based Groupon is scheduled to release fourth-quarter earnings in February. Analysts are expecting earnings of 3 cents per share on revenue of $910 million, according to Yahoo.
Groupon is transitioning from a daily deal site to more of a broad online retailer, said Tom Forte, a consumer technology analyst with Brean Capital, an investment bank and asset management firm. The goal, he said, is for consumers to turn to Groupon whenever they are seeking a deal on merchandise or services.
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