“Apple Inc. held talks with Intel Corp. about acquiring parts of its smartphone-modem chip business, according to people familiar with the matter, a potential multibillion-dollar deal that would accelerate the iPhone maker’s efforts to develop wireless technology for its devices,” Tripp Mickle, Cara Lombardo and Dana Cimilluca report for The Wall Street Journal.
“The talks started around last summer and continued for months before halting recently, around the time Apple reached a multiyear supply agreement for modems from Intel rival Qualcomm Inc., some of the people said,” Mickle, Lombardo and Cimilluca report. “Intel is now exploring strategic alternatives for its modem chip business, including a possible sale — to Apple or another acquirer, the people said. It has already received expressions of interest from a number of parties and has hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to manage the process, which is in an early stage.”
“The Intel-Apple talks, which haven’t been previously reported, reflect growing openness by the iPhone maker toward the idea of big acquisitions, people familiar with the company’s operations said,” Mickle, Lombardo and Cimilluca report. “Apple is more open to large and transformative deals than at any point in its history, according to one of the people familiar with the company’s operations.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we reported on April 4, 2019:
A little birdie tells us that “a major Apple acquisition looms,” but that “it’s not yet a done deal.” If it goes through, however, “people will be shocked.” No further information was given. We’re unsure if “people will be shocked” at the name of company Apple may acquire, the size of the acquisition, both, and/or something else altogether.
Apple reports Q219 earnings on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 after market close, right around 4:30pm EDT. Traditionally, Apple updates investors on the company’s capital return program – buybacks and dividends – at that time.
Apple plans “to become approximately net cash neutral over time,” in the words of CFO Luca Maestri in February 2018. Apple currently has north of $245 billion cash on hand. In other words, the sky’s the limit!
Stay tuned.
SEE ALSO:
Major Apple acquisition looms; ‘people will be shocked’ – April 4, 2019
Apple is going to buy Sprint and offer nationwide 5G services for fixed and wireless services.
Never, not on you life. Apple would likely charge twice as much is Verizon
What, no smarmy comeback from Apple sinnic?
Well, not yet, anyway. It takes time for Apple synic to lather on the cnutishness. He does wake up like that but he still needs to warm up first.
Applecnutic, Do you really think that Apple has done a great job expanding their business over the past 5 years? Are you happy with Apples streaming business? Rent a movie for $5-$6 each when you can usually find on Netflix or Amazon Prime? There is a reason Apple stock has such a low valuation when others have such a high valuation. It is called confidence in management.
Maybe there’s some cloud business Apple could acquire. It seems any company with a decent cloud business is being praised to high heaven by Wall Street. Apple could certainly use a business with high-growth potential and the cloud is definitely in fashion.
I think is very. interesting that Tim Cook called Apple upcoming streaming service, the one with no details given, Apple TV +. We week later and 20% move in the stock later Bob Iger called his, with plenty of detail, Disney +. Iger also stated that he would like to remain on the Apple board and would monitor the situation. The Jobs family is the largest individual shareholder of Disney. Tim Cook should have made a strategic investment into Disney a long time ago. I wonder if they do that now.
Seems like a good move on the surface and wouldn’t surprise me.
Apple may just want to negotiate a cross patent/license deal rather than take the unit off Intel’s hands.
Apple already has a big modem unit with many talented engineers, many of which have come from the likes of Intel and Qualcomm.
Intel may also still need the unit as they still plan to create integrated 5G modems for their desktop and laptop chipsets.
If you want to really talk about shocking acquisitions, maybe Apple acquiring Broadbcom. Probably more shocking for Qualcomm though as Broadbcom recently tried to acquire them.