Filing Flows › Helios Technologies (HLIO) › Takeover & LBO
Is Helios Technologies (HLIO) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($89.56 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 $52.43 a share (−24% against today's $68.89). Historically 4.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.96× the average).
The buyout, step by step
| Entry | Amount | How |
|---|---|---|
| Offer price a share | $89.56 | today's $68.89 plus 30% |
| × shares | 33.2 million | |
| = Equity value | $3.0B | |
| + Debt refinanced | $226M | |
| − Cash | $68.0M | |
| = Enterprise value | $3.1B | 20.8× EBITDA of $151M |
| Fees | $62.6M | 2% of the price |
| New debt | $829M | 5.5× EBITDA at 7.65% a year; the limit that binds: 5.5× EBITDA |
| Buyer's own money | $2.4B | 74% of the cost |
5 years under the buyer
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Interest | Free cash flow | Debt left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $963M | $163M | $63.4M | $54.6M | $775M |
| Year 2 | $1.0B | $174M | $59.3M | $66.6M | $708M |
| Year 3 | $1.1B | $183M | $54.2M | $78.5M | $630M |
| Year 4 | $1.1B | $191M | $48.2M | $90.2M | $539M |
| Year 5 | $1.2B | $197M | $41.3M | $101M | $438M |
The exit and the buyer's return
| Exit | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit multiple | 16.2× EBITDA | today's trading multiple, before any premium |
| Enterprise value at exit | $3.2B | |
| − Debt left | $438M | |
| = Buyer's equity | $2.8B | |
| Money multiple | 1.17× | on $2.4B put in |
| Buyer's yearly return (IRR) | 3.1% |
Price against return
What the buyer makes at other premiums over today's $68.89; the IRR reaches 20% at $52.43 a share.
| Premium | Price a share | Buyer's IRR |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $75.78 | 7.7% |
| 20% | $82.67 | 5.3% |
| 30% | $89.56 | 3.1% |
| 40% | $96.45 | 1.2% |
| 50% | $103.34 | −0.5% |
The figures used
| Figure | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, last 12 months | $891M | |
| EBITDA, last 12 months | $151M | 16.9% of revenue |
| Depreciation and amortization | $61.4M | |
| Capital spending | $30.2M | |
| Debt | $226M | |
| Cash | $68.0M | |
| Share price | $68.89 | on Oct 12, 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 15% 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, Helios Technologies would cost about $96.45 a share, $3.2B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $79.02 | $2.6B |
| Median | 40% | $96.45 | $3.2B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $110.36 | $3.7B |
The odds, from history
Historically 4.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.96× the average). Its figures put it in decile 6 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.
Helios Technologies' latest quarter
Helios Technologies, Q3 2026: revenue $230M (+4% year over year), operating margin 12.2%, net earnings $17.6M, operating cash flow $39.9M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Helios Technologies being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Helios Technologies?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($89.56 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 $52.43 a share (−24% against today's $68.89).
What would a takeover of Helios Technologies 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, Helios Technologies would cost about $96.45 a share, $3.2B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.