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AMD A Ripe Target For Buyout?
SpiceMonkey writes "AMD stock was up 6.74% on Monday on rumors that AMD is a prime buyout target. After their purchase of ATI, they've been pressed to maintain their aggressive policy of chip production increases. As a result, the AMD message board on Yahoo! is full of speculation on who has their eyes on the company. Many folks there think that IBM is the right buyer for the company. There's no firm word that AMD is even being considered for purchase, but it's certainly and interesting prospect."
A private equity firm is unlikely to be interested in AMD. Private equity investors tend to focus on consistantly profitable companies in declining sectors, e.g. the recent buyout of a utility in Texas is a case in point. Utilities have a predictable revenue stream, and don't have fast-growing revenues. The profits are necessary because private equity investors don't have money: they are leveraged (i.e. are in debt), and use the profits to both finance the leverage and secure a return for their investors. The declining sector is important because it means the share price will be low.
AMD has two things against it: it doesn't have predictable profits (game plan since the 90's: it releases a new product, is profitable, takes market share from Intel, Intel strikes back, AMD has losses) and it is in a sector which isn't necessarily in long-term decline (though things have been rough since the tech bust).
If there is a buyer, I'd bet it'll be either another semiconductor company, or at least one with a signficant semiconductor interest.
How about "I'm a bit mad"?