Investing.com -- Siemens AG (ETR:SIEGn) is in discussions about potentially buying Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR), a software company based in Troy, Michigan, Bloomberg reported on Thursday citing people familiar with the matter.
The German engineering conglomerate has enlisted advisers as it explores the possibility of a deal, the report said.
“The acquisition could be a logical strategic fit for Siemens DI Software and could be accommodated within the current balance sheet capacity of the group. However, the high valuation of Altair means any acquisition could be marginally earnings dilutive,” said analysts from RBC Capital Markets in a note.
Altair is reportedly considering a sale, as first reported by Reuters earlier this week, sending its share up on Wednesday.
While discussions are ongoing, no final decision has been made by Siemens regarding whether to move forward with an acquisition, and the possibility remains open for other potential buyers to express interest, the report added.
Altair, led by founder and CEO James Scapa, develops engineering software for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, and financial services.
The demand for these types of tools is expected to rise as artificial intelligence continues to become more integrated into daily operations across various sectors.
“We note that DI Software has grown in relative importance given good growth and the general industrial slowdown, and we expect it to account for ~33% of division revenues in 2024E,” said RBC.
Under the leadership of CEO Roland Busch, Siemens has been transitioning away from its traditional heavy equipment businesses, focusing more on high-margin, software-driven products.
This shift aims to bring the company in line with the profitability of competitors in automation, such as Rockwell Automation Inc (NYSE:ROK). and Schneider Electric (EPA:SCHN) SE.