Filing Flows › Reliance (RS) › Takeover & LBO
Is Reliance (RS) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($538.25 a share) would return about 4% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $341.73 a share (−17% against today's $414.04). Historically 1.5% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.3× the average).
The buyout, step by step
| Entry | Amount | How |
|---|---|---|
| Offer price a share | $538.25 | today's $414.04 plus 30% |
| × shares | 51.4 million | |
| = Equity value | $27.7B | |
| + Debt refinanced | $1.6B | |
| − Cash | $246M | |
| + Other claims | $9.7M | preferred stock, minority interests |
| = Enterprise value | $29.1B | 16.1× EBITDA of $1.8B |
| Fees | $581M | 2% of the price |
| New debt | $9.9B | 5.5× EBITDA at 7.65% a year; the limit that binds: 5.5× EBITDA |
| Buyer's own money | $19.7B | 66% of the cost |
5 years under the buyer
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Interest | Free cash flow | Debt left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $18.8B | $2.0B | $760M | $501M | $9.4B |
| Year 2 | $20.0B | $2.1B | $722M | $624M | $8.8B |
| Year 3 | $21.1B | $2.2B | $674M | $748M | $8.1B |
| Year 4 | $22.0B | $2.3B | $617M | $870M | $7.2B |
| Year 5 | $22.7B | $2.4B | $550M | $986M | $6.2B |
The exit and the buyer's return
| Exit | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit multiple | 12.6× EBITDA | today's trading multiple, before any premium |
| Enterprise value at exit | $29.6B | |
| − Debt left | $6.2B | |
| = Buyer's equity | $23.4B | |
| Money multiple | 1.19× | on $19.7B put in |
| Buyer's yearly return (IRR) | 3.5% |
Price against return
What the buyer makes at other premiums over today's $414.04; the IRR reaches 20% at $341.73 a share.
| Premium | Price a share | Buyer's IRR |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $455.44 | 8.8% |
| 20% | $496.85 | 5.9% |
| 30% | $538.25 | 3.5% |
| 40% | $579.66 | 1.4% |
| 50% | $621.06 | −0.5% |
The figures used
| Figure | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, last 12 months | $17.4B | |
| EBITDA, last 12 months | $1.8B | 10.4% of revenue |
| Depreciation and amortization | $278M | |
| Capital spending | $310M | |
| Debt | $1.6B | |
| Cash | $246M | |
| Share price | $414.04 | 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 24% 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, Reliance would cost about $579.66 a share, $29.8B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $474.90 | $24.4B |
| Median | 40% | $579.66 | $29.8B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $663.29 | $34.1B |
The odds, from history
Historically 1.5% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.3× 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.
Reliance's latest quarter
Reliance, Q3 2026: revenue $5.2B (+43% year over year), operating margin 10.6%, net earnings $403M, operating cash flow $212M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Reliance being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Reliance?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($538.25 a share) would return about 4% a year to a private-equity buyer over 5 years; the most a buyer could pay for a 20% return is $341.73 a share (−17% against today's $414.04).
What would a takeover of Reliance 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, Reliance would cost about $579.66 a share, $29.8B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.