Skyworks to Buy PMC-Sierra

Skyworks Solutions Inc., a chip supplier for Apple Inc., has agreed to buy PMC-Sierra Inc. in a $2 billion all-cash deal, as the semiconductor company seeks to strengthen its market position.

Skyworks said it would pay $10.50 a share for semiconductor and software-solution developer PMC, a 37% premium to PMC's closing price of $7.69 on Monday.

Skyworks will fund the acquisition with cash on hand from the combined companies and other debt financing. Shares of Skyworks were up 3.1% premarket Tuesday, while PMC shares surged 32%.

The boards of both Skyworks and PMC have approved the deal, which is expected to close in the first half of 2016, subject to approvals from regulators and PMC shareholders.

"With our acquisition of PMC, Skyworks will be uniquely positioned to capitalize on the explosive demand for high performance solutions that seamlessly connect, transport and store Big Data," said Skyworks Chairman David J. Aldrich. Skyworks said it expects annual revenue of more than $4 billion with operating margins exceeding 40% following the completion of the deal.

Separately, Skyworks said it expects revenue of around $880 million and adjusted earnings of $1.52 a share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, driven by the growing adoption of its integrated mobile systems. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected Skyworks to post a profit of $1.51 a share on revenue of $876 million for the quarter.

The Woburn, Mass.-based company posted sales of $2.3 billion in its 2014 fiscal year.

Skyworks, which generates a big chunk of its revenue from China, has been battered lately as concerns over growth in China have intensified. In a recent research note from Goldman Sachs, Skyworks topped a list of 20 U.S. stocks with the heaviest exposure to that country.

Ezequiel Minaya contributed to this article.

Write to Joanne Chiu at [e-mail]

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 06, 2015 08:05 ET (12:05 GMT)

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