A Yahoo rumor graduates from speculation to fact, as the company confirms that it’s going to buy ad network Interclick in an all-cash deal for $270 million.  The transaction is expected to close by early 2012.  Each share is sold at $9, which is 21 percent higher than its closing price at $7.4 per share yesterday. Interclick’s proprietary advertising and technology solutions enable it to dramatically improve data targeted solutions and optimized returns for advertisers across a variety of pooled premium supply sources.

Interclick is the maker of a leading data valuation platform developed to work with large data volume through a manifold of providers and marketplaces. The acquisition will provide Yahoo unique data targeting capabilities, optimization technologies and new premium supply.  It will also lend Yahoo additional experts in marketing to crowds across different sources.

“This investment underscores our focus on enhancing the performance of both our guaranteed and non-guaranteed display business across Yahoo and our partner sites and, combined with Yahoo!’s reach and advertising leadership, will deliver a powerful solution for marketers,” said Ross Levinsohn, EVP, Americas region. “interclick’s innovative platform will allow Yahoo! to expand its targeting and data capabilities to deliver campaigns with stronger performance metrics.”

This Yahoo merger and acquistion story has been going on for months now, and Interclick has always been pointed out as the potential company to buy. Yahoo was once an almost indispensable brand. But right now, it’s in a slump.  However, Yahoo boss Ross Levinsohn believes it is not beyond repair, provided new talents and technologies. He even made efforts to combine with AOL and Microsoft.

“Having worked closely with Yahoo! for the past few years, we have a deep appreciation of the quality of the inventory that Yahoo! brings to market. The combination of Yahoo!’s premium data and inventory with our platforms will create tremendous value for clients,” said Michael Katz, founder and CEO of Interclick. “I would personally like to thank our team, our clients and our Board who helped to make interclick the success it has become.”

Data-driven ad networks are gaining in popularity, as Adknowledge makes a related acquisition of its own.  Taking in AdParlor, Adknowledge is extending its reach into top social network Facebook.  Clearspring, on the other hand, acquired XGraph in its own efforts to extend data-driven capabilities around its network.

For Yahoo, advertising and marketing remain pertinent focal points for the troubled network.  And as Yahoo continues to be CEO-less, Yahoo board David Kenny has been speculated to replace Carol Bartz. However, he says he doesn’t want the job, saying, “I am not — and will not be — a candidate for the CEO position,” Kenny told Advertising Age in a statement.