Broadcom Ltd plans to raise its bid for Qualcomm Inc to about US$120 billion, trying to force its target to come to the table in what would be the largest-ever technology deal, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
The chipmaker is considering lifting its offer to about US$80 to US$82 per Qualcomm share, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
PROPOSAL
Qualcomm chief executive Steve Mollenkopf dismissed Broadcom’s earlier proposal of US$70 per share as not being worth consideration.
Broadcom was planning to announce the new bid yesterday morning US time, the person said.
Broadcom chief executive Hock Tan is putting pressure back on Mollenkopf and his board, who have so far refused to negotiate. By sweetening the offer, he is also improving prospects for his nominations to Qualcomm’s board in a shareholder vote next month. A victory in that effort would void the current opposition.
The situation is fluid and the exact level of the new bid has not been finalized, the person said.
Representatives for Broadcom and Qualcomm declined to comment.
Reuters reported the plans for an increased bid earlier, citing unidentified people.
AUDACIOUS
Broadcom’s hostile bid for the larger San Diego-based company is the latest and most audacious move by Tan in a string of deals that have made his company one of the world’s largest suppliers of semiconductors.
He wants Qualcomm for its leading smartphone modem chip division, an example of what he has called a “franchise” that will continue to dominate.
Qualcomm has countered that its future is much brighter as a standalone company.
It said it is on the cusp of breaking into new markets for products such as servers, personal computers and autos, putting it on a path to becoming a much bigger company.
ATTACKS
That argument has been hurt by attacks on its licensing business.Regulators around the world are fining or investigating Qualcomm, supporting elements of Apple Inc’s claims in a lawsuit against the company that it abuses its dominant position.
Qualcomm has countered that it expects to win in court over time.
The fate of Qualcomm’s licensing business is key to its future. The company is unique in the chip industry because most of its profit comes from charging fees on patents that cover the fundamentals of all modern phone systems.
That cash influx fuels industry-leading research and design that in turn helps its chip unit build products that dominate the smartphone industry.
CHOICE
Investors will have to choose whether they want to take the money from Broadcom now or sit tight and hope for a favorable resolution of its legal entanglements and for the promised new market growth to kick in.
Before reports of Broadcom’s US$70-a-share offer in November, Qualcomm’s stock had been trading at less than US$55, partly because of worries that its earnings would continue to be hurt by customers such as Apple refusing to pay.
Investors contacted by Bloomberg at the time of the initial bid said they would need more than US$80 per share to be persuaded to side with Broadcom.
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