CommScope Confirms $7.4B Acquisition Of Arris

Telecommunication infrastructure company Commscope Holding Company Inc COMM confirmed Thursday it reached an agreement to acquire entertainment and communications solutions company Arris International plc ARRS for $7.4 billion.

Arris shares gained 11 percent Wednesday after CNBC reported the company was being eyed as an acquisition target.

What Happened

Arris shareholders will receive $31.75 per share in cash, which represents a premium of 27 percent to the volume weighted average closing price for the 30 trading days prior to Wednesday's market rumors of a potential transaction.

Commscope said the rationale behind the merger is six fold:

• Better positioned to take advantage of favorable industry trends.
• More than double its existing addressable market to more than $60 billion.
• Expansion of product offerings and R&D capabilities.
• Immediate cost savings that could rise to at least $150 million annually within three years.
• Accretive to EPS by more than 30 percent.
• The creation of a strong balance sheet with $1 billion in free cash flow in the first year after closing.

What's Next

The combination of CommScope and Arris will combine a "unique set of complementary assets and capabilities that enable end-to-end wired and wireless communications infrastructure solutions that neither company could otherwise achieve on its own," CommScope CEO Eddie Edwards said in the press release.

CommScope said it expects to pay for the transaction with cash on hand and debt. The Carlyle Group, a former CommScope, will reestablish a $1 billion equity investment in the new company and own around 16 percent of CommScope's stock. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019 and remains subject to customary closing conditions and approval by Arris shareholders.

Related Links:

CommScope: A Wallet-Share Gainer At An Attractive Entry Point

Margin Headwinds At Commscope Make Near-Term Earnings Beats Unlikely, Morgan Stanley Says In Downgrade

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