Anyone involved with or interested in the tech sector isn't having a case of the Mondays today.
Particularly in the after-market, there's been quite some action in some of the stocks -- a going-private buyout was agreed to and announced, there was a fresh deal between two heavyweight partners in the hardware sphere, and a sector mainstay shattered its historical records.
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Broadcom's bromance with Apple continues
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Perhaps that's the philosophy guiding a new supply arrangement between semiconductor powerhouse Broadcom (AVGO 1.58%) and Apple (AAPL -1.62%).
In a regulatory disclosure filed after market close by the former company, it was revealed that the two have entered into a "statement of work" on the supply of Broadcom goods to Apple.
The agreement, which came into force yesterday, is a two-year deal under which Broadcom will provide certain radio frequency (RF) parts for Apple to use in devices across its product range -- specifically its iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watches.
The regulatory filing was brief, and did not provide any details regarding the monetary value of the agreement, or the amount of product that is to be supplied. Broadcom did write that "Apple intends, but is not required, to source all of its requirements for such RF front end components and modules from [Broadcom], provided that [Broadcom] is able to meet certain development, supply, and quality commitments."
In the tech world, there are few more prestigious clients than Apple, and the new deal is encouraging if not unexpected from the two longtime partners. In after-market trading, Broadcom stock is one of the top gainers, adding nearly 2%.
Microsoft notches a new record
Microsoft (MSFT 0.84%) is climbing new heights this evening. Today the company's stock closed at its highest level in more than 30 years of it being a publicly traded entity. And in post-market trading, Microsoft is adding slightly to its gains, meaning it's setting a new upper price level as we speak.
On top of that, the latest price surge of the shares earlier this week pushed the company's market capitalization above $1 trillion. It first reached that exalted level in April.
Despite its age, and the erosion of the PC market that used to be its bread and butter, Microsoft has been stepping lively. It has sensibly shifted focus to contemporary offerings in high-demand segments such as Azure Cloud, one reason Microsoft's recent quarterly results have been quite impressive of late.
On top of that, the company's announcement earlier this week that it would release the next version of its Xbox gaming console next year has created some buzz around its activities in this popular segment.
Shutterfly is going private
Shutterfly (SFLY) is about to fly away from the stock market. The photo storage and printing company is being bought in a take-private transaction by big private equity player Apollo Global Management, both companies announced after market close in separate press releases. The per-share price Apollo will pay to own Shutterfly is $51, in a deal with an enterprise value estimated at around $2.7 billion.
The two announcements closely follow intensifying speculation since late April that Apollo and Shutterfly were about to agree to a deal. In their press releases, both companies said that the agreed price represented a 31% premium to the stock's level on the day before that scuttlebutt began to spread due to "a media report."
Even before those rumors began to swirl, Shutterfly had effectively let it be known it was for sale. In February it announced it formed a "strategic review committee" to explore alternatives to being a stand-alone public company.
Separately, Shutterfly announced it has appointed a new CEO. C-suite veteran Ryan O'Hara now occupies the throne. Most recently he was CEO of real estate company Move Inc./Realtor.com; prior to that he was president of content, distribution, and sales for Madison Square Garden Company. He replaces Christopher North, whose impending departure was announced in February.
