Component manufacturer Broadcom is reportedly interested in acquiring Qualcomm, a major player in the semiconductor industry. According to reports, Broadcom is considering a bit of more than $100 billion for Qualcomm. If a deal is reached, it would be one of the biggest-ever acquisition of a chip manufacturer. Broadcom is expected to offer $70 per share for Qualcomm. Investors like that possibility which is why the company’s stock shot up by 14 percent when this was first reported, it was the largest stock move for Qualcomm in almost a decade.
Bloomberg reports that Broadcom is talking to advisers about a potential deal and that its offer of $70 per share would include cash and stock. The company is expected to make a formal offer to Qualcomm in the coming days.
The scribe does point out that a final decision on whether or not to proceed with this acquisition bid hasn’t been made as yet, so there’s still the possibility of this never turning out to be true.
Since a formal move hasn’t been made as yet, there’s nothing from Qualcomm about this. We can only expect to hear from the company if things move forward. Qualcomm finds itself in the middle of a legal battle with Apple. The latter has sued over the licensing fees that Qualcomm charges for patents. Apple argues that Qualcomm charges too much and that it takes an unfair advantage of its market position in the semiconductor industry.
Broadcom is a long-time Apple supplier and some experts believe that a change in management at Qualcomm following an acquisition might help resolve the dispute more quickly.