Why Marvell Stock Is Down Today
Key Points
Marvell shares fell after Bloomberg reported that the chipmaker is in advanced talks to acquire Lumentum.
The deal is expected to be all stock, according to Bloomberg, which would dilute existing Marvell shareholders.
Lumentum could expand Marvell’s optics business, but the deal’s price and other terms remain unknown.
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Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL) stock is sinking, down 13.9% as of 2:44 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 29, after a report said the chipmaker is close to buying a big optics supplier.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were down 0.7% and 1.7%, respectively.
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Marvell has its eye on Lumentum
Bloomberg reported after Wednesday's close that Marvell is in advanced talks to acquire Lumentum, a company that builds key optical components for AI data centers. An announcement could land as early as next week according to the report, but nothing has been finalized.
Marvell can't just write a check
Marvell has about $3.93 billion in cash and equivalents, and given Lumentum's $83 billion market cap, Bloomberg has reported it is likely to be all stock. That means dilution for existing shareholders. The company actually acquired a smaller optics company last year, in a $3.5 billion deal that included $1 billion in cash. This would be substantially larger.
The price tag is the real question
Marvell's overall business is humming, with Q2 revenue up 37% to a record $2.74 billion. I think optics is a smart place for Marvell to grow, but this is a massive deal relative to its size, and whether it pays off is a question we can't really answer until more details come to light.
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Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lumentum and Marvell Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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