KEYS Advances on Regulatory Approval Process for Spirent Acquisition

Zacks Equity Research

Mon, Dec 2, 2024, 8:28 AM 3 min read

Keysight Technologies, Inc. KEYS recently announced that it is steadily advancing the process of obtaining regulatory clearance from concerned authorities. The company has already secured approval under the U.K.’s National Security and Investment Act 2021 and also from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. A conditional authorization for the acquisition has been received from the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Industry. KEYS and Spirent are actively engaging with the State Administration for the Market Regulation of China to secure clearance under the country’s Anti-Monopoly Law.

Keysight and Spirent have achieved consensus on the terms and conditions of a proposed all-cash buyout of Spirent's entire issued and to-be-issued share capital, to be finalized through a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under the U.K. Companies Act 2006. Keysight aims to divest Spirent's high-speed ethernet and network security businesses to match the conditions in the scheme document and increase the likelihood of obtaining approval. A competitive auction process has already been started by KEYS to identify potential buyers. The company plans to finalize the disinvestment process alongside the completion of the acquisition.

Will KEYS Stock Benefit From These Developments?

In early 2024, Keysight made a formal bid to acquire Spirent Communications for around $1.46 billion, countering Viavi’s offer of $1.28 billion. The proposed buyout received approval from Spirent shareholders in May 2024. The acquisition process is expected to be completed by the first half of Keysight’s fiscal year 2025, ending April 30, 2025, subject to the pending regulatory clearances. Keysight’s proactively approach to address all the regulatory processes can boost investors’ confidence and drive share price performance.

Spirent boasts a robust portfolio of high-performance test, assurance and automation solutions. Keysight believes that Spirent’s business perfectly aligns with its long-term software solution strategy, and combining the complementary capabilities will diversify KEYS product offerings, boosting its commercial prospects across several sectors, including communications, automotive, aerospace, defense and more. Moreover, KEYS also expects to derive significant operational efficiency post-acquisition, which is expected to enhance the company’s gross and operating margins. This bodes well for long-term growth.