This is a guest post from Gregor Schauer, who has worked in tech in Silicon Valley since 2000. Gregor has also recently spent 2 years in equity research at JMP Securities and Jefferies, covering the Internet sector and enterprise software. You can follow him on Twitter here. Disclosure: Gregor owns Apple and Google shares.
One of the more curious things about the patent infringement lawsuit that Apple filed against HTC is why it didn’t file one against Palm first. There had already been a lot of speculation about Apple suing Palm, but virtually no one saw them taking on HTC first. Interestingly, an unintended consequence of this lawsuit is that it potentially increases the value of Palm’s patent portfolio, and strengthens the case for them to be acquired.
So what is the market valuing Palm at? After the huge smack on the head that the stock got after the company’s recent miserable revenue guidance, it’s $759 million for WebOS + all of Palm’s patents + their existing business. This is the enterprise value of the company, or what the company would cost to an acquirer if it was purchased for its current market value. (Though, a buyer will likely have to pay a premium.)
See Also:
- Palm’s New Gaming Platform Won’t Save Palm
- Palm CEO Explains To Employees Why The Company Is Toast
- CHART OF THE DAY: The Rise And Fall Of Palm
