Skip to content

CFDs are complex financial instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFDs are complex financial instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Is a joint TikTok bid a ‘poison chalice’ for Microsoft and Walmart?

We examine the details behind Walmart and Microsoft’s recently-announced, joint TikTok bid.

Video poster image

Walmart, Microsoft share prices surge on joint TikTok bid news

In a statement released to the market on Thursday, Walmart's investor relations team confirmed the company was partnering with Microsoft to make a joint bid for TikTok’s United States operations.

Investors responded optimistically to this news – bidding Walmart’s stock 4.54% or US$5.93 higher, with the stock finishing out the session at US$136.63. Walmart continued to trend higher in after-hours trade, adding a further 1.33%.

Microsoft also saw its share price pop on this news, adding 2.46% to finish out the session at US$226.58 per share.

Speaking of this partnership, Walmart said in a statement to the market that:

‘The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets. We believe a potential relationship with TikTok U.S. in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality.’

From a regulatory perspective, the company further noted that:

‘We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of U.S. TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of U.S. government regulators.’

Microsoft has previously indicated that it expects to complete bid discussions for TikTok’s US operations with ByteDance no later than 15 September.

Despite the progress made on the deal thus far, in an interview with Wired, Microsoft Founder Bill Gates has described a potential TikTok acquisition as a ‘poisoned chalice’ for Microsoft.

‘Who knows what’s going to happen with that deal. But yes, it’s a poison chalice. Being big in the social media business is no simple game, like the encryption issue,’ Gates elaborated.

Is TikTok getting banned? The current situation reviewed

Popular short-form video sharing app TikTok – one of ByteDance’s most popular services, has faced heavy scrutiny in recent months from the United States government, as concerns over user privacy, data and security mount. Geopolitical and trade tensions between the US and China did not help the situation.

This tension culminated in the Trump administration telling the China-based ByteDance it had 45 days to divest its US TikTok operations. The deadline was initially set at 20 September.

Trump softened that directive on 14 August, extending the sale deadline to 90 days, meaning that ByteDance wouldn't be required to find a buyer until 12 November.

In spite of that new ‘leniency’, the Trump administration continues to take a hardline approach to the company, in an executive order saying:

‘There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance Ltd […] through acquiring all interests in musical.ly, […] might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.’

Post completition of the sale, ByteDance will be required to provide proof to the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) that it has destroyed all user data – obtained or derived from its US TikTok and Musical.ly services operations.

Other key companies interested in purchasing TikTok’s US operations include Oracle and Twitter.

While the above assumes TikTok’s US operations will successfully be divested; if ByteDance fails to find a buyer for its US operations – the app would effectively face a ban – with Trump’s initial executive order prohibiting individuals and corporations from transacting with the company after the November deadline.

What remains less clear however is the legalities around this executive order.


This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.
CFDs are a leveraged products. CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your initial deposit, so please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

Seize a share opportunity today

Go long or short on thousands of international stocks.

  • Increase your market exposure with leverage
  • Get spreads from just 0.1% on major global shares
  • Trade CFDs straight into order books with direct market access

Live prices on most popular markets

  • Forex
  • Shares
  • Indices

Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.

Plan your trading week

Get the week’s market-moving news sent directly to your inbox every Friday. The Week Ahead gives you a full calendar of upcoming economic events, as well as commentary from our expert analysts on the key markets to watch.

For more info on how we might use your data, see our privacy notice and access policy and privacy webpage.

You might be interested in…

Find out what charges your trades could incur with our transparent fee structure.

Discover why so many clients choose us, and what makes us a world-leading provider of CFDs.

Stay on top of upcoming market-moving events with our customisable economic calendar.