Category: cyber security

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ForgeRock sold for $2.3 billion

ForgeRock to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $23.25 per share in cash

ForgeRock announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $23.25 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.3B.

The offer represents a premium of approximately 53% over ForgeRock’s closing share price on October 10, the last full trading day prior to the transaction announcement, and a premium of approximately 44% over the volume weighted average price of ForgeRock stock for the 30 days ending October 10.

The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the ForgeRock board of directors, is currently expected to close in the first half of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by ForgeRock’s shareholders and the receipt of required regulatory approvals.

ForgeRock, Inc. operates a digital identity platform to secure, manage, and govern the identities of customers, employees, partners, application programing interfaces (APIs), microservices, devices, and the Internet of things worldwide. It offers identity management products to automate onboarding/registration and progressive profiling, identity lifecycle and relationship management, identity provisioning and synchronization, user self-service, personalization, delegation, and privacy and consent management. 

Upon completion of the transaction, ForgeRock’s common stock will no longer be publicly listed and ForgeRock will become a privately held company.

FORG is up $7.38 to $22.53.

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KnowBe4 receives buyout offer!

KnowBe4 confirms receipt of $24 per share proposal from Vista

KnowBe4 (KNBE) confirmed the receipt of a non-binding proposal from Vista Equity Partners to acquire all outstanding shares of the Company for $24 per share in cash.

KnowBe4, Inc. engages in the development, marketing, and sale of its Software-as-a-Service-based security awareness platform. The company provides a platform incorporating security awareness training and simulated phishing with analytics and reporting that helps organizations manage the ongoing problem of social engineering.

The company also offers Security Coach, a solution to address human behavior risks through human detection and response; and PasswordIQ that would be used to mitigate risk related to password hygiene issues, such as weak or breached passwords. It serves its customers directly through inside sales teams for enterprise and small and medium businesses, as well as indirectly through channel partners and managed service providers.

The proposal represents a 39% premium to KnowBe4’s closing price on September 16, 2022.

The Company’s Board of Directors regularly considers opportunities to enhance value for its stockholders.

In response to an inquiry from Vista, the Board formed a special committee of the Board, comprised solely of independent directors, to engage with Vista and take other actions that it deems appropriate, with the assistance of independent financial and legal advisors.

Consistent with its mandate, and in consultation with its legal and financial advisors, the Special Committee will carefully review the Vista proposal and other potential value creation opportunities to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of KnowBe4 and its stockholders.

KNBE is up 29% to $22.30.

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Google buys Mandiant for $5.4B

Google to acquire Mandiant for $23.00 per share in cash

Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Mandiant (MNDT) for $23.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $5.4B, inclusive of Mandiant’s net cash.

Upon the close of the acquisition, Mandiant will join Google Cloud.

With the addition of Mandiant, Google Cloud will enhance offerings to deliver an end-to-end security operations suite with even greater capabilities to support customers across their cloud and on-premise environments.

The acquisition of Mandiant is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of Mandiant stockholder and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close later this year.

Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler analyst Thomas Champion said he thinks the deal makes strategic sense given Google’s move further into the Enterprise. The Mandiant acquisition should complement Google Cloud Platform’s current security offerings, which include BeyondCorp Enterprise and VirusTotal, said Champion, who reiterates his Overweight rating and $3,475 price target on Alphabet shares.

Wedbush 

 Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives notes that this deal is all about Mandiant being further integrated into Google Cloud with more cyber threats facing enterprises/governments on the transformational shift to cloud and Mandiant establishing itself as “the Navy Seals of cyber security” over the last decade, the analyst contends.

#Ives believes this deal will have a major ripple impact across the cyber security space as cloud stalwarts Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) will now be pressured into M&A and further bulk up its cloud platforms.

The analyst thinks cyber names such as Varonis (VRNS), Tenable (TENB), CyberArk (CYBR), Qualys (QLYS), Rapid7 (RPD), SailPoint (SAIL), and Ping (PING) standout as potential M&A candidates in cyber security given these vendors laser focus on protecting next generation cloud workloads from cyberattacks.

MNDT is down 50 cents to $21.99.

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Mimecast receives take over offer

Mimecast discloses ‘non-binding expression of interest’ at $92.50 in go-shop

In a regulatory filing earlier, Mimecast (MIME) disclosed that it received, and rejected, a $92.50 per share proposal from a group identified in its proxy materials as “Portfolio Company A.”

The filing states: “On December 31, 2021, Portfolio Company A submitted to the Special Committee a non-binding expression of interest to acquire all outstanding ordinary shares of Mimecast at a price of $92.50 per share in cash, subject to completion of customary due diligence.

This expression of interest did not include the proposed quantum of debt and equity financing or copies of debt commitment letters or whether offers for debt commitments had been secured.

Portfolio Company A indicated that it was likely Portfolio Company A could pay a higher price following access to due diligence information… Immediately following the special joint meeting of the Special Committee and the Company Board held on January 6, 2022, representatives of Goodwin advised outside counsel to Portfolio Company A that the Company Board had determined that priority financial, legal and customer due diligence information would not be provided at such time and that consistent with the Special Committee’s position that had been conveyed on multiple occasions since November 2, 2021, Financial Sponsor A and Portfolio Company A needed to satisfy the Special Committee and its antitrust advisors that the antitrust risks for such a transaction would not subject Mimecast shareholders to substantial timing and execution risk due to expected scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

Counsel for Portfolio Company A did not share any additional information or analyses regarding the antitrust process for a transaction between Mimecast and Portfolio Company A or the timing and execution risk due to expected scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

Portfolio Company A also did not elect to submit any further or updated indication of interest or provide a markup of the antitrust-related provisions in the Permira Transaction Agreement (or clarify its position with respect thereto).

At 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on January 6, 2021, the go-shop period set forth in the Transaction Agreement expired.”

Mimecast jumped 6% on December 7th after the cybersecurity company announced it was being acquired by private-equity firm Permira for $80 a share in cash or $5.8 billion.

That bidder, according to a report Bloomberg’s Ed Hammond, is Proofpoint, which was taken private last year by Thoma Bravo.

Mimecast Limited, a British company, provides cloud security and risk management services for corporate information and email.

This is how ProofPoint describes itself “Email, social media, and mobile devices are the tools of your trade—and for cyber criminals, the tools of attack. Proofpoint protects your people, data and brand against advanced threats and compliance risks.”

MIME is up $1.29 to $80.49.

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NeoPhotonics sold for $918M

 Lumentum to acquire NeoPhotonics for $16 per share in cash

Lumentum (LITE) and NeoPhotonics (NPTN) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Lumentum will acquire NeoPhotonics for $16.00 per share in cash, which represents a total equity value of approximately $918M.

NeoPhotonics Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells optoelectronic products that transmit and receive high speed digital optical signals for cloud and hyperscale data center internet content provider and telecom networks worldwide.

Lumentum Holdings Inc. manufactures and sells optical and photonic products in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates in two segments, Optical Communications (OpComms) and Commercial Lasers (Lasers). 

Laser chips made by Lumentum

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 39% to NeoPhotonics’ closing stock price on November 3, 2021.

Laser chips made by NeoPhotonics

Lumentum intends to finance the transaction through cash from the combined company’s balance sheet.

Related to the transaction, Lumentum will provide up to $50M in term loans to NeoPhotonics to fund anticipated growth, which may require increased working capital and manufacturing capacity.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar year 2022, subject to approval by NeoPhotonics’ stockholders, receipt of regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

“With NeoPhotonics, we’re making another important investment in better serving our customers and expanding our photonics capabilities at a time when photonics are at the forefront of favorable long-term market trends. At the center of our strategy is a relentless focus on developing a differentiated portfolio with the most innovative products and technology in our industry so that we can help our customers compete and win in their respective markets.

Adding NeoPhotonics’ differentiated products and technology and innovative R&D team is consistent with this strategy and together, we will better meet the growing need for next generation optical networking solutions. We are confident this transaction will make us an even better partner to our customers, while enabling our team to deliver significant, long-term value to our stockholders. We look forward to welcoming NeoPhotonics’ talented team of employees to Lumentum,” said Alan Lowe, Lumentum President and CEO.

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Palantir becomes a public company

AOC flags ‘material risks’ to Palantir investors in SEC letter

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community in the United States to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations.

Palantir finally becomes a public company

It offers Palantir Gotham, a software platform for government operatives in the defense and intelligence sectors, which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform.

The company also provides Palantir Foundry, a platform that transforms the ways organizations operate by creating a central operating system for their data; and allows individual users to integrate and analyze the data they need in one place. 

Shares soared 34% on Wednesday on their debut.

In a newly released letter, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued words of warning to the SEC over Palantir’s efforts to take the company public, cautioning the regulatory body over details the progressive congresswoman says were “omitted” in the company’s disclosures, TechCrunch’s Taylor Hatmaker reports.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Illinois Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia

“Palantir reports several pieces of information about its company – and omits others – that we believe require further disclosure and examination, as they present material risks of which potential investors should be aware and national security concerns of which the public should be aware,” Ocasio-Cortez and Illinois Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia wrote.

Palantir’s chairman, Peter Thiel

Palantir’s chairman, Peter Thiel, and its work for government agencies including U.S. immigration have sparked concerns among corporate watchdogs and human rights groups including Amnesty International. The company has also drawn rebukes from governance experts who point out that Thiel will have power with little accountability because of multi-class stock that grants him outsize power in perpetuity.

PLTR closed at $9.73, up $2.48 on heavy volume of 338,584,433.

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FTC to fine Twitter over misuse of data

Twitter faces FTC fine of up to $250M over alleged misuse of email, phone data

On July 28, 2020, Twitter (TWTR) received a draft complaint from the Federal Trade Commission alleging violations of the company’s 2011 consent order with the FTC and the FTC Act, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Twitter books a $150M charge., Stockwinners

The allegations relate to the company’s use of phone number and/or email address data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019.

The company estimates that the range of probable loss in this matter is $150M to $250M and has recorded an accrual of $150M.

The accrual is included in accrued and other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet and in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

FTC complaint relates to misuse of phone number and email addresses

The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome.

The company is also currently involved in, and may in the future be involved in, legal proceedings, claims, investigations, and government inquiries and investigations arising in the ordinary course of business.

These proceedings, which include both individual and class action litigation and administrative proceedings, have included, but are not limited to matters involving content on the platform, intellectual property, privacy, data protection, securities, employment and contractual rights.

Class Action suits have been filed against Twitter

Legal fees and other costs associated with such actions are expensed as incurred.

The company assesses, in conjunction with its legal counsel, the need to record a liability for litigation and contingencies.

Litigation accruals are recorded when and if it is determined that a loss related matter is both probable and reasonably estimable.

Material loss contingencies that are reasonably possible of occurrence, if any, are subject to disclosure.

Twitter used customer phone numbers for marketing purposes, Stockwinners

As of June 30, 2020, except for the referenced class actions, derivative actions and FTC matter, there was no litigation or contingency with at least a reasonable possibility of a material loss.

Except for the aforementioned accrual of $150M recorded in relation to the FTC matter, no other material losses were recorded during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 with respect to litigation or loss contingencies.

TWTR closed at $36.39.

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DOJ issues guideline for online content

DOJ issues recommendations for Section 230 reform

The Department of Justice has released a set of reform proposals to update the outdated immunity for online platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.

Responding to bipartisan concerns about the scope of 230 immunity, the department identified a set of concrete reform proposals to provide stronger incentives for online platforms to address illicit material on their services while continuing to foster innovation and free speech.

The department’s review of Section 230 over the last ten months arose in the context of its broader review of market-leading online platforms and their practices, which were announced in July 2019.

The department held a large public workshop and expert roundtable in February 2020, as well as dozens of listening sessions with industry, thought leaders, and policy makers, to gain a better understanding of the uses and problems surrounding Section 230.

The first category of recommendations is aimed at incentivizing platforms to address the growing amount of illicit content online, while preserving the core of Section 230’s immunity for defamation claims.

These reforms include a carve-out for bad actors who purposefully facilitate or solicit content that violates federal criminal law or are willfully blind to criminal content on their own services.

Additionally, the department recommends a case-specific carve out where a platform has actual knowledge that content violated federal criminal law and does not act on it within a reasonable time, or where a platform was provided with a court judgment that the content is unlawful, and does not take appropriate action.

A second category of proposed reforms is intended to clarify the text and revive the original purpose of the statute in order to promote free and open discourse online and encourage greater transparency between platforms and users.

One of these recommended reforms is to provide a statutory definition of “good faith” to clarify its original purpose.

The new statutory definition would limit immunity for content moderation decisions to those done in accordance with plain and particular terms of service and consistent with public representations. These measures would encourage platforms to be more transparent and accountable to their users.

The third category of recommendations would increase the ability of the government to protect citizens from unlawful conduct, by making it clear that Section 230 does not apply to civil enforcement actions brought by the federal government.

A fourth category of reform is to make clear that federal antitrust claims are not, and were never intended to be, covered by Section 230 immunity.

Over time, the avenues for engaging in both online commerce and speech have concentrated in the hands of a few key players.

It makes little sense to enable large online platforms (particularly dominant ones) to invoke Section 230 immunity in antitrust cases, where liability is based on harm to competition, not on third-party speech.

The action follows President Trump’s executive order seeking to weaken broad immunity enjoyed by Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) and Google (GOOGL).

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Uber in talks to acquire GrubHub

Uber made all-stock offer to acquire GrubHub, WSJ reports

Shares of food delivery company GrubHub are sharply higher after the Wall Street Journal reported that Uber Technologies (UBER) approached GrubHub (GRUB) earlier this year with a takeover offer and the parent company of Uber Eats and its rival service operator continue to discuss a possible combination.

Uber may buy GrubHub, Stockwinners

Uber is seeking to acquire GrubHub in an all-stock deal that would reshape the meal-delivery business, but “it’s far from guaranteed the talks will produce a deal,” according to the report.

UberEats has 25% of the food delivery market, Stockwinners

Bloomberg’s Ed Hammond has separately reported this morning that Uber has made an offer to acquire GrubHub.

The companies are in talks about a deal and could reach an agreement as soon as this month, sources told Bloomberg. 

“While our Rides business has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic, we have taken quick action to preserve the strength of our balance sheet, focus additional resources on Uber Eats, and prepare us for any recovery scenario,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

Uber has a market cap of $57B

Uber Eats is a direct competitor to Grubhub, with Grubhub controlling  26.7% of the market while Uber holds a 25.2% market share. 

Grubhub has a market cap of more than $5.3 billion. Uber has a market cap of $57 billion.

GrubHub (GRUB) is seeking 2.15 Uber (UBER) share in exchange for each of its own shares in a potential takeover and Uber’s board is expected to review the latest GrubHub counter proposal, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.

NEEDHAM

After Bloomberg reported that Uber (UBER) has approached GrubHub (GRUB) with a takeover offer, Needham analyst Brad Erickson said such a deal would be consistent with his bullish thesis that Uber Eats could eliminate as much as $500M of its roughly $1.2B in losses last year through such a GrubHub acquisition.

With Uber having exited India and seven other unprofitable markets, Erickson thinks investors would “further recognize a dramatically clearer picture towards food delivery profitability” if a GrubHub deal were to occur, he added. Erickson reiterates a Buy rating and $42 target on Uber shares.

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Loral Space in ‘advanced talks’ to combine with Telesat

Loral Space & Communications declares $5.50 per share special dividend

Loral Space & Communications (LORL) announced that its board of directors has declared a special dividend of $5.50 per share for an aggregate dividend of approximately $170.5M.

The dividend is payable on May 28 to holders of record of Loral voting and non-voting common stock as of the close of business on May 14.

Loral declares a one time $5.50 special dividend, Stockwinners

Michael Targoff, Vice Chairman of Loral’s Board of Directors, explained that, “in an effort to maximize shareholder value, we have for some time been exploring, and are now in advanced discussions with our Canadian co-owner in Telesat, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, regarding the combination of Loral and Telesat into one public company.

Telesat to combine with Loral Space, Stockwinners

“Given the advanced state of the discussions regarding the combination transaction, it is now appropriate to pay to our shareholders a significant portion of the $243M cash distribution that we previously received from Telesat.”

“It is our intention,” Mr. Targoff continued, “to request that the Board declare an additional distribution to our shareholders in coordination with signing definitive agreements for the combination transaction.”

The company added: “Notwithstanding the advanced state of the discussions regarding the potential combination transaction, there can be no assurance as to whether or when Loral will be able to conclude the ongoing negotiations, that Loral will enter into any agreement that provides for a strategic transaction involving Telesat or Loral’s interest therein, that any strategic transaction will occur, or that any particular economic, tax, structural or other objectives or benefits with respect to any strategic transaction will be achieved.”

Loral Space & Communications Inc. offers satellite-based communications services to the broadcast, telecom, corporate, and government customers worldwide.

Telesat, formerly Telesat Canada, is a Canadian satellite communications company.  The company is now the fourth-largest fixed satellite services provider in the world. It owns a fleet of satellites, with others under construction, and operates additional satellites for other entities.

LORL is up 31% to $23.10.

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Willis Towers Watson sold for $30B in stock

Aon plc to combine with Willis Towers Watson in all-stock transaction

Aon plc (AON) and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) announced a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction with an implied combined equity value of approximately $80B.

The combined company, to be named Aon, will be “the premier, technology-enabled global professional services firm focused on the areas of risk, retirement and health,” the companies stated.

Willis Tower Watson merges with AON, Stockwinners

Aon will maintain operating headquarters in London, United Kingdom. John Haley will take on the role of Executive Chairman with a focus on growth and innovation strategy.

The combined firm will be led by Greg Case and Aon Chief Financial Officer Christa Davies.

AON merges with Willis Tower Watson

Under the terms of the agreement unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, each Willis Towers Watson shareholder will receive 1.08 Aon ordinary shares for each Willis Towers Watson ordinary share, and Aon shareholders will continue to own the same number of ordinary shares in the combined company as they do immediately prior to the closing.

Upon completion of the combination, existing Aon shareholders will own approximately 63% and existing Willis Towers Watson shareholders will own approximately 37% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.

Aon anticipates that the transaction will provide annual pre-tax synergies and other cost reductions of $800M by the third full year of combination, thereby allowing the firm to continue significant investment in innovation and growth. Potential revenue synergies due to complementary capabilities are expected but not included in the synergy estimates.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to Aon adjusted EPS in the first full year of the combination with peak adjusted EPS accretion in the high teens after full realization of $800M of pre-tax synergies.

Willis Towers Watson and Aon anticipate savings of $267M in the first full year of the combination, reaching $600M in the second full year, with the full $800M achieved in the third full year.

Free cash flow accretion is expected to breakeven in the second full year of the combination with free cash flow accretion of more than 10% after full realization of synergies.

The transaction is expected to generate over $10B of shareholder value creation from the capitalized value of the expected pre-tax synergies, based on the blended 2020 price to earnings ratio of Willis Towers Watson and Aon UK on 6 March 2020, net of $2.0B in one-time transaction, retention and integration costs.

WTLW last traded at $193.13. AON last traded at $192.15.

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RBC Capital’s predictions for 2020

Accelerating Netflix subs, Uber profitability among RBC’s top 10 surprise list

RBC Capital analyst Mark Mahaney compiled a broader research note titled “Top Ten Internet Surprises for 2020” list, in which he assigns a “reasonable chance” of 30% or more for the following to occur against the “average internet investor” expectations of the event being improbable.

Disney loss having minimal impact on Netflix subscribers. See Stockwinners.com Market Radar to read more
RBC expects subs accelerating in 2020, Stockwinners
  • 1) Netflix (NFLX) subscriber additions may accelerate because the company will be comping 2019’s “material price increase and a dramatic slowdown in marketing spending.
  • 2) Google’s (GOOGL) operating margins may be flat to up as its Google Cloud becomes a smaller margin drag and the company’s Other Bets division gets greater investment after the resignation of its founders.
  • 3) Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT) achieve EBITDA profitability thanks “insurance expense leverage, driver and rider subsidies rationalization, pricing actions, and growth leverage”.
  • 4) Amazon’s (AMZN) profitability plummets as the company continues its “aggressive investment” in shipping and fulfillment, particularly internationally, while continuing the build-out of AWS salesforce.
  • 5) Maturing growth rates and large cash piles may see Google, Facebook (FB), and Booking.com (BKNG) become dividend payers in the internet sector.
  • 6) Spotify (SPOT) gross margins may expand as the company concludes its music label negotiations.
 EU ruling against Google seen as win for Amazon, Apple, Stockwinners
Google may pay a dividend, Stockwinners

RBC Capital Markets is a global investment bank providing services in banking, finance and capital markets to corporations, institutional investors, asset managers and governments globally. Locations span 70 offices in 15 countries across North America, the UK, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. 

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Shape Security sold for $1B

F5 Networks to acquire Shape Security for approximately $1B in cash

F5 Networks (FFIV) and Shape Security announced a definitive agreement under which F5 will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of the privately held Shape for a total enterprise value of approximately $1B in cash, subject to certain adjustments.

F5 Networks purchases Shape Security, Stockwinners

Shape protects the largest banks, airlines, retailers, and government agencies with sophisticated bot, fraud, and abuse defense.

In particular, Shape defends against credential stuffing attacks, where cybercriminals use stolen passwords from third-party data breaches to take over other online accounts.

Shape has built an advanced platform, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, supported by powerful cloud-based analytics to protect against attacks that bypass other security and fraud controls.

Shape Security sold for $1B, Stockwinners

Upon closing of the acquisition, Derek Smith, and the leadership team will join F5 in key management roles.

Shape will remain located in their current Santa Clara headquarters.

The acquisition of Shape is consistent with F5’s vision to build the best end-to-end multi-cloud application services company. It accelerates F5’s product and total revenue growth; speeds F5’s transition to a software- and SaaS-driven business model; and is expected to meaningfully increase F5’s software subscription mix in fiscal year 2020.

F5 expects to achieve breakeven non-GAAP EPS within 24 months of closing the acquisition and anticipates that the combination will be accretive to free cash flow per share within 12 months of closing.

F5 expects to fund the transaction through cash on its balance sheet and $400M in a Senior Unsecured Term Loan A. The acquisition has been approved by the boards of directors of both F5 and Shape.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2020.

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Tech Data sold for $5.4 billion

Tech Data to be acquired by Apollo Global for $130 per share in cash

Tech Data (TECD) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management (APO).

Tech Data is taken private at $130 per share, Stockwinners

Through the agreement, the affiliate of the Apollo Funds will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tech Data common stock for $130 per share in a transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $5.4B.

Apollo buys Tech Data for $5.4B, Stockwinners

The purchase price represents a 24.5% premium to the unaffected 30-day volume weighted average closing share price of Tech Data’s common stock ended October 15, the last trading day prior to published market speculation regarding a potential transaction involving the company.

The Tech Data Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends that Tech Data shareholders vote in favor of the transaction.

The transaction is not subject to a financing condition and is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, foreign regulatory approvals and approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Tech Data shares.

Tech Data expects to hold a Special Meeting of Shareholders to consider and vote on the transaction agreement as soon as feasible after the mailing of the proxy statement to shareholders.

Consistent with the Board’s commitment to maximizing shareholder value, the terms of the agreement provide that Tech Data will be permitted to actively solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties during a “go-shop” period from the date of the agreement until December 9.

There is no guarantee that this process will result in a superior proposal. Following the close of the transaction, Rich Hume will continue to lead Tech Data as CEO, and the company will continue to be headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.

Tech Data will become a privately held company, and Tech Data’s common shares will no longer be publicly listed.

Tech Data Corporation operates as an IT distribution and solutions company. The company offers endpoint portfolio solutions, including personal computer systems, mobile phones and accessories, printers, peripherals, supplies, endpoint technology software, and consumer electronics. It also provides advanced portfolio solutions, such as data center technologies comprising storage, networking, servers, advanced technology software, and converged and hyper-converged infrastructure, as well as specialized solutions. 

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Enterprise Spending Drought

Forescout pummeled, Cisco falls amid weakening enterprise spending view

Shares of publicly-traded companies in the network security space are trading lower after Forescout Technologies (FSCT) announced preliminary results for its third quarter.

Forescout slashed its view on sales and profit for the quarter, as sales are seen getting pushed out to future quarters amid a weakening in the global macroeconomic environment.

Forescout shares tumble on weak demand, Stockwinners

EXPECTATIONS FALL

Forescout now sees total Q3 revenue of $90.6M-$91.6M as compared to its prior view of $98.8M-$101.8M. Non-GAAP operating loss for Q3 is expected to be in the range of $1.6M-$1.4M, compared to the company’s prior guidance range for an operating profit of $2.6M-$3.6M.

Forescout CEO Michael DeCesare said, “Q3 results were impacted by extended approval cycles which pushed several deals out of the third quarter.

This was most pronounced in EMEA against the backdrop of a challenging macro-economic environment. These deals were not lost to competitors and we are working to get them over the finish line.” JPMorgan analyst Sterling Auty downgraded ForeScout to Neutral from Overweight after the company announcement.

Auty cut his price target for ForeScout shares to $35 from $54. He also called this the “first notable negative preannouncement” in the software sector and thinks investors will be watching carefully to see if there are further issues that will cause multiples in the space to contract further.

ENTERPRISE SPENDING DROUGHT

Adding to the negativity in the Enterprise space was a Cisco Systems (CSCO) downgrade from Goldman Sachs.

Goldman Sachs downgrades Cisco Systems, Stockwinners

Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall downgraded Cisco Systems to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $48, down from $56.

Large enterprise spending will continue to weaken and telecom spending activity will remain depressed in the near term, Hall stated.

The analyst noted that Goldman’s Enterprise Activity Index deteriorated in September, while his latest reseller survey was also incrementally negative on enterprise spending trends. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Forescout are down over 35.5% to $25.26 while Cisco is down over 2%.

OTHER STOCKS TO WATCH

Other companies to watch in the enterprise and security space include A10 Networks (ATEN), Check Point (CHKP), CyberArk (CYBR), Cyren (CYRN), and Fortinet (FTNT).

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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.

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