The Knot (Nasdaq: KNOT) may not be getting married, but it's still going to go for a game change.
The company is changing its name to XO Group, reflecting its portfolio of lifestyle websites that goes beyond its wedding-planning TheKnot.com hub. The Knot, after all, watches over TheBump.com for expectant mothers and TheNest.com for newlyweds.
The Knot will also be taking its new name -- and new XOXO ticker symbol -- to the New York Stock Exchange. Yes, there are more and more four-lettered NYSE stocks these days.
Is this also an admission that it's nowhere close to getting hitched?
Merriman Capital issued a research note last fall, suggesting that Disney (NYSE: DIS) or USA Today parent Gannett (NYSE: GCI) would make ideal buyers.
Those are certainly worthy suitors. Gannett wouldn't mind some more dot-com sex appeal to offset the meandering ways of print publishing. Disney's family entertainment dominance would take over where The Bump leaves off.
I offered up three other feasible suitors at the time. They still make sense.
- Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) -- The company has the cash to acquire growth. The Knot's juicy target audience would also deliver healthier ad rates.
- IAC (Nasdaq: IACI) -- The Knot's lifestyle brands would fit well with IAC dating sites Match.com and Chemistry.com. Newlyweds in need of contracting help or home repairs on their new digs could lean on Service Magic's referral service.
- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) -- Stewart's site has always been popular for wedding-related content and floral arrangements.
It's not as if The Knot needs to get hitched. It is certainly not asking gentleman callers to begin lining up on its porch. If anything, this name and exchange shift indicates that The Knot -- and come June 27, XO Group -- is hunkering down for the long haul of spinster-hood.
There's no shame in being an old maid. In fact, it may be The Knot's next lifestyle website launch.
Do you think The Knot will be acquired within the next year? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
