NetSuite shareholders have Oracle over a barrel 12 Oct 2016 Few have backed the software giant's $9.3 bln bid. Oracle, whose chairman Larry Ellison owns a 40 pct stake in NetSuite, says it's the final offer. But the company needs NetSuite's cloud skills and fast growth. That makes an Oracle price hike more likely than a squelched deal.
China’s startups have few good options left 20 Sep 2016 A slowdown in venture capital is squeezing smaller tech hopefuls. Many have flocked to the "New Third Board" but it's hard to raise new equity on this moribund over-the-counter market. Some cash-strapped groups may sell out to larger rivals, or cut costs and hope for the best.
Meg Whitman’s simplifying job gets more complex 7 Sep 2016 After first splitting Hewlett-Packard, the HP Enterprise boss is now attempting her second spinoff. The transaction uses a messy structure but if it works would fetch $8.8 bln for the software division tax-free. Even a smaller HPE, however, will be plagued by hardware deflation.
Beauty of selfie-app IPO is only skin deep 24 Aug 2016 Millions of young Chinese use Meitu to airbrush pictures, whitening their skin or applying virtual makeup. But the company is basically a small smartphone business made up to look like a big Internet player. A $700 mln Hong Kong IPO should be seen through a sceptical lens.
Oracle-NetSuite deal may be sweetest for Ellison 28 Jul 2016 The business-software company is paying $9.3 bln, a whopping 44 pct premium, for a cloud-computing company effectively controlled by the Oracle CEO. The deal makes strategic sense, but Ellison looks to be once again cashing in on a side investment at Oracle's expense.
Apple’s muted results belie building pressure 26 Jul 2016 With little reason for customers to update their iPhones, the $520 billion firm led by Tim Cook again reported declining quarterly sales. Yet favorable forces pile up with each mediocre result - existing handsets are aging, services growing, and investor expectations falling.
Microsoft makes partial amends for LinkedIn folly 19 Jul 2016 Its enterprise and cloud software businesses are growing quickly, and CEO Satya Nadella is wisely investing. Meanwhile, "More Personal Computing" – a grab bag for phones, games and search – saw margins rise even as sales fell. If only Microsoft showed similar discipline in M&A.
EMC owners shift concerns from Dell to VMware 19 Jul 2016 The storage maker's shareholders overwhelmingly backed a sale to the PC producer, cementing a deal once valued at $67 bln. Now they have to get comfortable with the untested VMware tracking stock they'll receive. For now, the implied discount of nearly 50 pct makes sense.