Over the last couple of years we have heard time and again that BlackBerry might be acquired by some big company. At one time it was believed that Lenovo was seriously considering picking up the ailing Canadian manufacturer but that didn’t happen and instead the company received over a billion dollars from its biggest shareholder, along with a new CEO and top management. Once again there’s speculation that BlackBerry is being eyed for an acquisition and this time Microsoft’s name is coming up.
It merits mentioning here that so far both Microsoft and BlackBerry have not confirmed if they have even held talks regarding a possible acquisition, nothing is known for sure at this point in time.
A recent report claimed that both Xiaomi and Microsoft might be interested in acquiring BlackBerry. Even though it doesn’t have much to show for in terms of smartphone shipments the company sits on a very valuable patent portfolio which would fetch most of the value in an acquisition.
As per the latest on the rumor mill, Microsoft may offer $7 billion to acquire the company. This would translate into a price just north of $13 per share, a premium of around 26 percent given that last Friday the stock closed at $10.48.
Samsung’s name has come up repeatedly in speculation regarding the future of BlackBerry and it is also viewed as a potential buyer, but so far there’s nothing to show that it has put in an offer for the company.
BlackBerry has not officially confirmed that it’s actively seeking a buyer. CEO John Chen and his team are working hard to return to profitability and set on a path to future growth.
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