Triquint Semiconductor Inc fka TQNT

[eastunder]

RFMD-TriQuint Merger Completes HSR Waiting Period

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/rfmd-triquint-merger-completes-hsr-164010307.html

Zacks
By Zacks Equity Research
11 hours ago




The merger agreement between leading semiconductor manufacturer TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (TQNT) and rival RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD) has successfully passed the first litmus test with the completion of the applicable waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the “HSR Act”). The news has come as a welcome relief for both the Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stocks.

The waiting period under the HSR Act is usually 30 days and commences once both the companies file a premerger notification report. The transaction can proceed with the successful completion of the waiting period or with the early termination of the same by the government. The waiting period can also be extended and regulators can impose an injunction on the transaction if they find any potential anticompetitive issues with the proposed merger.

The RF Micro – TriQuint merger is currently awaiting the approval of the respective shareholders along with the fulfillment of other mandatory closing conditions. The deal, valued at approximately $1.6 billion, is termed as a merger of equals and is expected to close in the second half of 2014. The combined entity is likely to create a behemoth in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, offering vital components to premier mobile companies like Apple Inc. (AAPL), BlackBerry Limited (BBRY) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

With annual revenues of about $2 billion, the combined entity will bring under a common platform all the critical radio frequency (RF) components that are essential for fabricating mobile devices, thereby creating an undisputed market leader with a diversified product portfolio. These include power amplifiers (PAs), power management integrated circuits (PMICs), antenna control solutions, switch-based products and premium filters.

This in turn will likely offer better bargaining power and make it tougher for customers such as Apple and Samsung to push back on pricing. With global smartphone users predicted to triple to 5.6 billion by 2019, the merger provides a huge revenue-generating potential to the new entity.

At the same time, the merger strengthens the combined company's ability to better serve the infrastructure and defense/aerospace industries with advanced gallium nitride (GaN) solutions for additional markets and applications, and foundry services to support radar, next generation base stations, optical communications and the Internet of Things. The newly formed entity is also expected to be a leading player in this sphere with approximately $500 million in annual revenues.

In addition, the merger will offer synergistic benefits and increase the profitability of the new company through economies of scale and mutual sharing of manufacturing expertise, research and development costs and adjustment of staffing expenses. The transaction is expected to generate $75 million of cost savings in the first year of its operation, followed by another $75 million in the second year. Post- merger, the deal is also expected to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings in the first full fiscal year of its operation.