Rumours that SAP might be in takeover talks with Microsoft have pushed up shares in the German software giant over the last couple of days.

Reuters reports that large numbers of shares in SAP changed hands today, as traders reacted to the rumour which began circulating on Monday.

We say Monday, but an SAP love match has been on the cards before.

Back in 2004, a court hearing on Oracle’s proposed takeover of PeopleSoft heard that Microsoft and SAP had previously been in serious talks about a combination. The news was enough to upstage even Larry Ellison. The talks foundered on the “complexity” of any deal.

Only last year, SAP chairman Hassno Plattner told the Financial Times that the company was open to being bought out by one of the US technology giants.

Microsoft would be one of a small number of companies with deep enough pockets to swallow SAP. Its market cap is currently $62.85bn. Back in 2004 it was a comparative bargain at $52bn. ®