Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) CEO Antonio Neri is holding out hope his prized acquisition of Juniperg Networks (JNPR) will close in early 2025.
“I have no pause about the deal [getting done],” Neri told me on Yahoo Finance (video above). “It’s a good deal for customers.” Neri added it would help strengthen national security.
The tech giant announced the $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks in January. If completed, the acquisition would double HPE’s existing networking business. It would mark one of the biggest deals for the company since it spent $3 billion in 2015 to buy Aruba Networks.
Fresh concerns about the deal have crept into the picture. The FT reported several weeks ago that HPE officials met with Justice Department antitrust enforcers to argue against a challenge to the deal.
The Justice Department under Biden has been scrutinizing big deals that could decrease competition. Recently, the FTC was successful in blocking a handbag merger between Tapestry (TPR) and Capri Holdings (CPRI).
Neri still thinks the acquisition will come to fruition in early 2025 and is likely to receive approval from the Biden administration.
Despite the unknowns of the Juniper deal, HPE’s performance continues to match Wall Street expectations.
On Thursday, after market close, the company reported fiscal fourth quarter earnings in line with estimates. Demand was brisk for servers as AI infrastructure build-outs continue. Two of the company’s three main segments notched operating margin expansion in the quarter.
HPE guided relatively in line with consensus forecasts for the current quarter.
“While AI orders/revenues can be lumpy, we see the potential for stronger contribution from enterprise AI and sovereigns which bodes positively for revenue momentum and margins ahead. Coupled with improving demand outlook in core enterprise infrastructure spending and potential EPS accretion from Juniper acquisition with management confident in closing the deal by early 2025, we are increasingly more constructive,” said Citi analyst Asiya Merchant.
Merchant upgraded her rating on HPE to Buy from Neutral and sees fair value at $26 a share. Of the 18 analysts on the Street that cover HPE, nine rate the stock a Buy and nine rate it a Hold, according to Yahoo Finance data.
HPE shares rose 9% on Friday’s session to $23.75. The stock is up 40% year to date, lagging rival Dell’s (DELL) gain of 63%.
Net sales: $8.5 billion (+15% year over year) vs. $8.25 billion estimate (Guidance: $8.1 billion to $8.1 billion
Server sales: +32% year over year to $4.7 billion
Intelligent edge sales: -20% year over year to $1.1 billion
Hybrid cloud sales: +18% year over year to $1.6 billion
Gross profit margins: 30.9% compared to 34.8% a year ago
Diluted earnings per share: $0.58 (+12% year over year) vs. $0.56 estimate
