Shares of Ansys Inc. soared 19% Friday on the heels of a report the company is in discussions to be acquired by Synopsys Inc. in a deal that would create a design-software behemoth.
The potential deal would kick off 2024 with a mega-merger, even as the Federal Trade Commission attempts to crack down on such transactions. Talks remain fluid and a third party might still emerge as a possible suitor of Ansys, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which cited people familiar with the situation.
Ansys
ANSS,
which has a market value of nearly $26.3 billion, makes software that helps predict how products in aerospace, healthcare and automotive applications will work in the real world. A deal could be struck early in 2024, according to people familiar with the matter. Ansys reported revenue of $2.1 billion in 2022.
Synopsys
SNPS,
with a market value of $85.1 billion, makes software that engineers use to design and test silicon chips used in smartphones, self-driving cars and other forms of artificial intelligence. Its stock has climbed 65% this year as investors flock to cash in on the AI boom. Shares of Synopsys were down 5.5% in late trading Friday.
Synopsys’s customers include Nvidia Corp.
NVDA,
Intel Corp.
INTC,
and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
AMD,
Representatives from Synopsys and Ansys were not immediately available for comment.