Green shoots in M&A as Oracle buys Sun
The mergers and acquisitions market has sprung back to life, with ten deals worth a total of $27bn announced on the same day, including software behemoth Oracle swallowing up ailing Sun Microsystems.
The mergers and acquisitions market has "sprung back to life", said Lina Saigol in the FT. On Monday ten deals worth a total of $27bn were announced across several sectors; the first quarter, by contrast, was dominated by defensive pharma mega-mergers.
The market upswing has bolstered overall corporate confidence, while some companies have managed to persuade banks to lend them money to do deals. Big firms are also taking advantage of lower valuations.
The major deals included PepsiCo offering $6bn for its two biggest bottling companies; pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline paying $3.6bn for skincare group Stiefel Laboratories; and software behemoth Oracle pouncing on its ailing Silicon valley Neighbour Sun Microsystems for $7.4bn.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Oracle takes on IBM
Oracle's business is based mostly on databases for corporate computer systems and business software, so why is it buying a hardware maker specialising in servers? Because Sun "has been beefing up its software business", says Economist.com. It boasts Solaris, one of the best operating systems, and Java, a programme behind most business applications.
Buying these "jewels" will also prevent IBM snapping them up. Indeed, said David Wighton in The Times, IBM will now have "a large rival that competes across its whole product range, from hardware to software".
ORCL: $19; 12m change -10%
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
-
Will a Santa Rally bring festive cheer to investor portfolios this year?
Investors will be hoping for a seasonal stock market boost in December
By Marc Shoffman Published
-
ChatGPT turns two: how has it impacted markets?
Two years on from ChatGPT’s explosive launch into the public sphere, we assess the impact that it has had on stock markets and the world of technology
By Dan McEvoy Published