Aspen to Be Acquired by Emerson in an All-Cash $7.2 Billion Deal

Aspen Technology, Inc. AZPN has announced a definitive agreement with Emerson Electric Co. EMR. Per the deal, EMR will acquire all remaining outstanding shares of Aspen’s common stock that it does not already own. The agreement, structured as an all-cash tender offer, values the minority stake at $7.2 billion, with a per-share price of $265.00.This transaction places Aspen’s total market capitalization at $17 billion on a fully diluted basis, with an enterprise value of $16.8 billion. As previously stated, the tender offer requires a non-waivable condition that a majority of AZPN's common stock held by minority shareholders must be tendered and remain unwithdrawn.The transaction is anticipated to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Emerson plans to fund the transaction through a combination of cash on hand and debt financing. Upon completion, Aspen's common stock will no longer be traded on the Nasdaq.Aspen Technology, Inc. Price and Consensus Aspen Technology, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Aspen Technology, Inc. QuoteOn Nov. 5, 2024, Aspen announced that it received an "unsolicited, non-binding proposal" from Emerson to acquire all its outstanding shares at $240 per share in an all-cash transaction. Subsequently, on Nov. 20, 2024, Aspen revealed the formation of a special committee consisting of three independent directors to evaluate Emerson's non-binding proposal. The transaction was approved by Aspen’s board of directors following the recommendation of the Special Committee. The Emerson board also gave its unanimous approval to the transaction.Emerson currently holds around 57% of Aspen’s outstanding shares. With the completion of this acquisition, Aspen will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Emerson.In May 2022, Emerson's OSI Inc. and Geological Simulation Software (“GSS”) businesses were merged with Aspen. Emerson gave Aspen $6 billion in cash in exchange for a 55% ownership in the company.Emerson is a global technology and software leader and offers innovative solutions for essential industries. With its advanced automation portfolio and majority stake in Aspen, Emerson supports manufacturers in optimizing operations, enhancing safety, cutting emissions and achieving sustainability goals.AZPN’s DGM & SSE Segments Bode WellBedford, MA-based Aspen provides asset optimization software solutions. The company's solutions aid customers in asset-intensive industries in addressing the twin problem of fulfilling the growing resource demand of an expanding population while simultaneously conducting business in a more sustainable way. The solutions enable clients to run their assets safer and faster in complex situations where it is vital to optimize across the complete asset lifecycle, including asset design, operation and maintenance.Following the Emerson transaction, the company has expanded its portfolio to five product suites: Performance Engineering (ENG), Manufacturing and Supply Chain (MSC), Asset Performance Management (APM), Digital Grid Management (DGM), and Subsurface Science & Engineering (SSE).Increasing momentum in DGM, as well as SSE, suites bode well. Going ahead, the DGM segment is likely to benefit from higher demand for electricity driven by data centers and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) along with extensive grid upgrades. In December 2024, Aspen’s comprehensive suite of DGM solutions was used by Latin America-based multi-country energy transmission company — Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. E.S.P. (ISA) — to attain a 99.99% power reliability rate. In November 2024, Aspen announced that Iceland’s power-producing utility, Landsvirkjun, was leveraging AspenTech OSI DGM software. The solution will aid the utility in improving real-time control and optimization of power generation, ensuring the safe and effective management of all its plants across the country.The SSE segment is gaining from solid upstream market demand. Aspen’s heritage Engineering suite momentum continues with robust demand from traditional energy and sustainability projects.AZPN’s Zacks Rank & Stock Price PerformanceAspen currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have gained 39.4% in the past six months compared with the industry's growth of 32.2%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader technology space are BlackBerry Limited BB and InterDigital, Inc. IDCC. BB presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas IDCC carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.BlackBerry’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 131.25%. In the last reported quarter, BB delivered an earnings surprise of 200%. Its shares have surged 69.3% in the past six months.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for InterDigital’s 2024 earnings per share is pegged at $15.19, unchanged in the past 30 days. IDCC earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 163.7%. The company’s long-term earnings growth rate is 15%. Its shares have jumped 46.7% in the past six months.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Emerson Electric Co. (EMR): Free Stock Analysis Report InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC): Free Stock Analysis Report Aspen Technology, Inc. (AZPN): Free Stock Analysis Report BlackBerry Limited (BB): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks