Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates said Monday the company is focusing on an independent strategy after walking away from its hostile bid for Yahoo (YHOO) over the weekend.

During an exclusive interview with Gates and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) Chief Executive Warren Buffett on the Fox Business Network, Gates said Microsoft is “pursuing an independent strategy. That’s where the focus is and obviously we have a strong competitor in that category so we need to do breakthrough software.”

On Saturday Microsoft announced it would no longer pursue Yahoo, after Yahoo spurned the company’s $47.5 billion offer. Some industry watchers think that if Yahoo stock price falls Microsoft could step back in and try again to buy the Internet Company.

Recently shares of Yahoo were trading down 14.13% or $4.05 to $24.62 while Microsoft’s stock was recently up 0.64% or 18 cents to $29.42.

Speculation is also swirling that Microsoft could make another Internet acquisition with published reports saying Microsoft could buy News Corp.’s (NWS) MySpace, Time Warner’s (TWX) AOL, Facebook or LinkedIn.

During the interview with Gates and Buffet, Gates defended the volatility of Microsoft’s stock and the performance of CEO Steve Ballmer.

“Steve has done a fantastic job,” said Gates. “If you take what’s happened to the earnings and sales since he’s been CEO, its well more than doubled.”

During a subsequent interview with Yahoo President Susan Decker, Decker told Fox Business Network she wasn't disappointed that a deal didn't happen. 

""It’s not about disappointment or not, it’s truly about our board has been very consistent and thoughtful about trying to maximize shareholder value, and it just came down to that.  There was a difference between the bid and the ask and the two companies just didn’t come to terms," she said.

 Both Gates and Decker sit on the Berkshire Hathaway board.