Filing Flows › Ametek (AME) › Takeover & LBO
Is Ametek (AME) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($297.26 a share) would return about 3% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $164.85 a share (−28% against today's $228.66). At $70.0B it would be larger than any buyout on record (the model flags anything over $60 billion), so this is a thought experiment more than a prospect. Historically 2.2% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.44× the average).
The buyout, step by step
| Entry | Amount | How |
|---|---|---|
| Offer price a share | $297.26 | today's $228.66 plus 30% |
| × shares | 230.0 million | |
| = Equity value | $68.4B | |
| + Debt refinanced | $2.3B | |
| − Cash | $666M | |
| = Enterprise value | $70.0B | 27.3× EBITDA of $2.6B |
| Fees | $1.4B | 2% of the price |
| New debt | $14.1B | 5.5× EBITDA at 7.65% a year; the limit that binds: 5.5× EBITDA |
| Buyer's own money | $57.3B | 80% of the cost |
5 years under the buyer
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Interest | Free cash flow | Debt left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $8.8B | $2.8B | $1.1B | $1.3B | $12.9B |
| Year 2 | $9.4B | $3.0B | $984M | $1.5B | $11.4B |
| Year 3 | $10.0B | $3.1B | $871M | $1.7B | $9.7B |
| Year 4 | $10.4B | $3.3B | $739M | $1.9B | $7.7B |
| Year 5 | $10.7B | $3.4B | $591M | $2.1B | $5.6B |
The exit and the buyer's return
| Exit | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit multiple | 21.1× EBITDA | today's trading multiple, before any premium |
| Enterprise value at exit | $70.8B | |
| − Debt left | $5.6B | |
| = Buyer's equity | $65.2B | |
| Money multiple | 1.14× | on $57.3B put in |
| Buyer's yearly return (IRR) | 2.6% |
Price against return
What the buyer makes at other premiums over today's $228.66; the IRR reaches 20% at $164.85 a share.
| Premium | Price a share | Buyer's IRR |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $251.53 | 7.0% |
| 20% | $274.39 | 4.7% |
| 30% | $297.26 | 2.6% |
| 40% | $320.12 | 0.8% |
| 50% | $342.99 | −0.8% |
The figures used
| Figure | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, last 12 months | $8.2B | |
| EBITDA, last 12 months | $2.6B | 31.3% of revenue |
| Depreciation and amortization | $433M | |
| Capital spending | $148M | |
| Debt | $2.3B | |
| Cash | $666M | |
| Share price | $228.66 | on Nov 6, 2026 |
Fixed rules, the same as the interactive view's starting point: the shares are bought at today's price plus 30%, the company's debt is refinanced and fees take 2%. New debt is the least of 5.5× EBITDA, 65% of the price and the amount whose interest EBITDA covers 2 times, at 7.65% a year (SOFR 3.89% plus the high-yield B spread 3.26% plus 0.5%, rates of Oct 15, 2026). Revenue grows 8.0% in the first year — the company's own rate, held between −3% and +8% — fading to 3% by year 5; the EBITDA margin, depreciation and capital spending stay at today's share of revenue; working capital takes 10% of each year's added revenue; tax is 18% of profit after interest. Every dollar of free cash flow repays debt. After 5 years the buyer sells at today's multiple of EBITDA.
What a takeover could cost
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Ametek would cost about $320.12 a share, $73.6B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $262.27 | $60.3B |
| Median | 40% | $320.12 | $73.6B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $366.31 | $84.3B |
The odds, from history
Historically 2.2% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.44× the average). Its figures put it in decile 1 of 10 (10 = the most likely to be bought). The odds come from a model of every merger proxy, tender-offer response and going-private statement filed on EDGAR since 2011, set against each company's size, margins, debt, cash flow and growth the year before.
Ametek's latest quarter
Ametek, Q3 2026: revenue $2.2B (+17% year over year), operating margin 26.3%, net earnings $426M, operating cash flow $561M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Ametek being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Ametek?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($297.26 a share) would return about 3% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $164.85 a share (−28% against today's $228.66). At $70.0B it would be larger than any buyout on record (the model flags anything over $60 billion), so this is a thought experiment more than a prospect.
What would a takeover of Ametek cost?
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Ametek would cost about $320.12 a share, $73.6B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.