Schneider Electric Nears $20 Billion Deal to Buy US Software Group PTC, FT Reports
Announcement could come as soon as Monday, though talks are ongoing and a deal is not certain
2 min read
File photo: Schneider Electric headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison, France, at night. Photo: Wilmotte & associés architectes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
France's Schneider Electric is nearing a deal to buy US industrial software group PTC for about $20 billion, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
A deal may be announced as soon as Monday, the newspaper said, according to Reuters. It added that discussions between the two companies were ongoing and there was no certainty they would result in an agreement.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the FT report. Schneider Electric and PTC did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours.
What PTC brings to the table
Boston-based PTC has a market value of $15.63 billion, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters. The reported deal figure sits above that valuation, although it was not clear from the reports whether the $20 billion includes debt or how the price would be structured.
PTC makes software that manufacturers use to design, manage and service physical products. Its portfolio includes computer-aided design (CAD) and product lifecycle management (PLM) tools such as Creo and Windchill, used by companies in sectors ranging from cars and aerospace to industrial machinery.
Schneider's software ambitions
Schneider Electric, headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison near Paris, is one of the world's biggest suppliers of energy management and industrial automation equipment. In recent years it has worked to grow its software business, most notably by taking full ownership of British industrial software company AVEVA in 2023.
A purchase of PTC would add design and engineering software to Schneider's existing industrial automation and data tools, and expand its presence in the United States. Industrial groups have been racing to combine hardware with software, as factories adopt automation, digital models of their plants and AI-driven maintenance.
What happens next
Neither company has confirmed the talks. If an agreement is reached, a transaction of this size would typically require shareholder and regulatory approvals in several jurisdictions.
Investors will be watching for any statement from the two companies when markets open on Monday. PTC shares trade on the Nasdaq in New York, while Schneider Electric is listed on Euronext Paris.
For now, the deal remains unconfirmed. The FT said talks could still fall apart, and neither the price nor the timing of any announcement has been publicly agreed by the companies.
