News
Symantec to acquire Lifelock for $2.3 Billion
November 2016 by Marc Jacob
Symantec Corp. and LifeLock, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Symantec to acquire LifeLock for $24 per share or $2.3 billion in enterprise value. The deal, which was approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions including LifeLock stockholder approval.
In the last year, one third of American citizens and over 650 million people globally were the victims of cybercrime. Consequently, more and more consumers are concerned about digital safety, an estimated $10 billion market growing in the high single digits. In the United States alone, the estimated total addressable market is 80 million people.
Symantec’s acquisition of LifeLock brings together the #1 leader in consumer security with a leading provider of identity protection and remediation services. The combination will create the world’s largest consumer security business with over $2.3 billion in annual revenue based on last fiscal year revenues for both companies.
By offering each of the company’s respective customer bases a broader digital safety solution, Symantec expects to achieve additional revenue upside through higher ASPs and improved retention rates.
Symantec expects to finance the transaction with cash on the balance sheet and $750 million of new debt. Symantec’s board of directors has also increased the company’s share repurchase authorization from approximately $800 million to $1.3 billion, with up to $500 million in repurchases targeted by the end of fiscal 2017.
Given the expected closing in the first calendar quarter of 2017, Symantec expects the transaction to have no impact to its quarter ending December 30, 2016. The transaction is also not expected to have a material impact to Symantec’s fiscal year 2017 financial results, and the company is reaffirming its prior fiscal year 2017 financial guidance at this time: non-GAAP revenue of $4,040 - $4,120 million; non-GAAP operating margin of 27-29%; and non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.12-$1.18. The company is also reaffirming its prior fiscal year 2018 non-GAAP earnings per share guidance of $1.70-$1.80. Symantec expects the transaction to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share in fiscal year 2019.
The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval in the United States and LifeLock stockholder approval.
Citi and J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC are serving as co-lead financial advisors to Symantec’s Board of Directors (in alphabetical order). Barclays, Bank of America, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo are acting as financial advisors and are providing debt financing commitments to Symantec (in alphabetical order). Fenwick & West LLP is acting as legal advisor to Symantec in connection with the acquisition, and Fenwick & West LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP are acting as legal advisors to Symantec in connection with the debt financing. Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as financial advisor to LifeLock. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP are acting as legal advisors to LifeLock.
