Filing Flows › Leonardo DRS (DRS) › Takeover & LBO
Is Leonardo DRS (DRS) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($48.98 a share) would return about 1% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $27.00 a share (−28% against today's $37.68). Historically 2.1% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.42× the average).
The buyout, step by step
| Entry | Amount | How |
|---|---|---|
| Offer price a share | $48.98 | today's $37.68 plus 30% |
| × shares | 268.3 million | |
| = Equity value | $13.1B | |
| + Debt refinanced | $348M | |
| − Cash | $294M | |
| = Enterprise value | $13.2B | 25.3× EBITDA of $522M |
| Fees | $264M | 2% of the price |
| New debt | $2.9B | 5.5× EBITDA at 7.65% a year; the limit that binds: 5.5× EBITDA |
| Buyer's own money | $10.6B | 79% of the cost |
5 years under the buyer
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Interest | Free cash flow | Debt left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $4.2B | $564M | $220M | $126M | $2.7B |
| Year 2 | $4.5B | $602M | $210M | $161M | $2.6B |
| Year 3 | $4.7B | $635M | $198M | $196M | $2.4B |
| Year 4 | $4.9B | $662M | $183M | $230M | $2.2B |
| Year 5 | $5.1B | $682M | $165M | $263M | $1.9B |
The exit and the buyer's return
| Exit | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit multiple | 19.5× EBITDA | today's trading multiple, before any premium |
| Enterprise value at exit | $13.3B | |
| − Debt left | $1.9B | |
| = Buyer's equity | $11.4B | |
| Money multiple | 1.07× | on $10.6B put in |
| Buyer's yearly return (IRR) | 1.4% |
Price against return
What the buyer makes at other premiums over today's $37.68; the IRR reaches 20% at $27.00 a share.
| Premium | Price a share | Buyer's IRR |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $41.45 | 5.9% |
| 20% | $45.22 | 3.5% |
| 30% | $48.98 | 1.4% |
| 40% | $52.75 | −0.4% |
| 50% | $56.52 | −2.1% |
The figures used
| Figure | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, last 12 months | $3.9B | |
| EBITDA, last 12 months | $522M | 13.4% of revenue |
| Depreciation and amortization | $101M | |
| Capital spending | $146M | |
| Debt | $348M | |
| Cash | $294M | |
| Share price | $37.68 | on Oct 30, 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 12% 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, Leonardo DRS would cost about $52.75 a share, $14.2B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $43.22 | $11.6B |
| Median | 40% | $52.75 | $14.2B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $60.36 | $16.2B |
The odds, from history
Historically 2.1% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.42× 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.
Leonardo DRS' latest quarter
Leonardo DRS, Q3 2026: revenue $1.1B (+11% year over year), operating margin 10.9%, net earnings $115M, operating cash flow $96.0M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Leonardo DRS being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Leonardo DRS?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($48.98 a share) would return about 1% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $27.00 a share (−28% against today's $37.68).
What would a takeover of Leonardo DRS 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, Leonardo DRS would cost about $52.75 a share, $14.2B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.