Yahoo�s stock price has surpassed $30 for the first time since the Internet company was fending off a takeover offer bid by Microsoft 5 1/2 years ago.

The Sunnyvale, Calif., company reached the milestone Thursday as investors reacted to the latest evidence that Yahoo Inc.�s online services are becoming more compelling under CEO Marissa Mayer. In an appearance at a technology conference Wednesday, Mayer disclosed that the number of Yahoo�s users has climbed 20 percent to about 800 million people since she defected from Google Inc. last year.

Yahoo�s stock gained 83 cents, or nearly 3 percent, to $30.02 in afternoon trading. The stock hadn�t topped that level since February 2008, shortly after Microsoft Corp. offered to buy Yahoo for $31 per share, or $44.6 billon.

(AP)