The shares of financial tech software developer Bill Holdings (BILL +11.49%) easily surmounted Hump Day with an almost 12% rise in value. Not coincidentally, this followed a media report published after market close on Tuesday stating that the company was contemplating a sale. Bill Holdings' increase was far more pronounced than the under 0.1% gain of the benchmark S&P 500 index.
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The swirl of speculation
According to that report, which appeared in Bloomberg and was updated Wednesday morning, Bill Holdings is exploring options for its future. These include a potential sale of the company.
Citing unidentified "people familiar with the matter," the financial news agency said Bill Holdings' management is working with a financial advisor -- again, unnamed -- to gauge interest from potential bidders. The focus is on would-be suitors in the finance industry, in addition to private equity firms.
The article's sources said that there is as of yet no guarantee that Bill Holdings will sell itself. It might ultimately decide to remain an independent company.
Activist investor Starboard Value divulged a stake in Bill Holdings earlier this year and has been advocating for changes at the company. At the moment, one of Starboard's picks occupies a seat on the company's board of directors.
NYSE: BILL
Key Data Points
Mum's the word, for now
Neither Bill Holdings nor Starboard has yet commented on the Bloomberg report. The article did not mention how much the company might offer itself for in a sale, so any investor buy-in on the basis of a potential deal is rank speculation at best. Given that, it's probably best to leave Bill Holdings stock alone until we learn more about any developments in the story.
