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Seagate To Buy Maxtor in $1.9 Billion Stock Deal

Twas the week before Christmas when Seagate Technology announced plans to acquire smaller rival Maxtor in an all stock deal worth an estimated $1.9 billion.

Both companies’ boards have unanimously approved the acquisition, according to a joint statement issued by the companies last week. The sale is expected to close in mid-2006.

The combined company will use the Seagate name and will be headquartered at Seagate’s offices in Scotts Valley, Calif. In addition, Seagate’s management team will stay in place, while Maxtor’s current chairman and CEO, Dr. C.S. Park, will become a member of the merged firm’s board.

Under the terms of the deal, Maxtor shareholders will receive 0.37 shares of Seagate common stock for each Maxtor share. When it closes, Seagate shareholders will control about 84 percent of the shares, while Maxtor shareholders will own around 16 percent, according to the companies’ statement.

Once the merger is complete and the combined company has had a year to stabilize and sort itself out, Seagate said it expects to reap about a 10 percent to 20 percent gain in cash earnings per share over its current cash EPS. The gains expected to come about from the combination will be partly offset by what Seagate referred to as “revenue attrition.” However, at the same time, the companies expect to save around $300 million annually from eliminating overlap and simplifying supply chains.

The larger Seagate was founded in 1979 and brought in $7.6 billion in fiscal 2005. Meanwhile, Milpitas, Calif.-based Maxtor, which was founded in 1982, grossed $2.9 in the first three quarters of fiscal 2005.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

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