Yahoo shareholders angry at the failure of takeover talks with Microsoft have only until late next week to mount a campaign to force the internet company to reconsider, following a manoeuvre by Yahoo to put the matter behind it.

However, in spite of a growing backlash against Yahoo’s board over its handling of the Microsoft negotiations, Wall Street takeover experts said the odds were still low that any organised shareholder opposition to the company’s directors would emerge, particularly given the tight deadline.