By Dhirendra Tripathi
Investing.com – McAfee stock (NASDAQ:MCFE) traded 3.4% lower Monday on disappointment over the terms of a $14-billion deal that will take the maker of antivirus software private.
The buyers are led by private equity Advent and include Permira Advisers, Crosspoint Capital, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Singapore’s GIC Private, and a wholly owned arm of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
The all-cash deal values each McAfee share at $26, just 54 cents higher than its Friday closing of $25.46. The stock had closed with 20% gains that day.
The deal values the company’s equity at $12 billion and at over $14 billion on an enterprise value basis after accounting for the company's debt.
The deal comes at a time when demand for antivirus software is booming thanks to the spread of remote work during the pandemic. That has created a wealth of new opportunities for hackers.