Filing Flows › Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) › Takeover & LBO
Is Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($421.49 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 $248.97 a share (−23% against today's $324.22). Historically 2.7% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.54× the average).
The buyout, step by step
| Entry | Amount | How |
|---|---|---|
| Offer price a share | $421.49 | today's $324.22 plus 30% |
| × shares | 47.8 million | |
| = Equity value | $20.2B | |
| + Debt refinanced | $2.6B | |
| − Cash | $182M | |
| = Enterprise value | $22.5B | 19.8× EBITDA of $1.1B |
| Fees | $451M | 2% of the price |
| New debt | $6.3B | 5.5× EBITDA at 7.65% a year; the limit that binds: 5.5× EBITDA |
| Buyer's own money | $16.7B | 73% of the cost |
5 years under the buyer
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Interest | Free cash flow | Debt left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $6.6B | $1.2B | $480M | $518M | $5.8B |
| Year 2 | $7.1B | $1.3B | $440M | $619M | $5.1B |
| Year 3 | $7.5B | $1.4B | $393M | $719M | $4.4B |
| Year 4 | $7.8B | $1.4B | $338M | $816M | $3.6B |
| Year 5 | $8.0B | $1.5B | $276M | $908M | $2.7B |
The exit and the buyer's return
| Exit | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit multiple | 15.7× EBITDA | today's trading multiple, before any premium |
| Enterprise value at exit | $23.4B | |
| − Debt left | $2.7B | |
| = Buyer's equity | $20.7B | |
| Money multiple | 1.24× | on $16.7B put in |
| Buyer's yearly return (IRR) | 4.3% |
Price against return
What the buyer makes at other premiums over today's $324.22; the IRR reaches 20% at $248.97 a share.
| Premium | Price a share | Buyer's IRR |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $356.64 | 8.8% |
| 20% | $389.06 | 6.4% |
| 30% | $421.49 | 4.3% |
| 40% | $453.91 | 2.5% |
| 50% | $486.33 | 0.8% |
The figures used
| Figure | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, last 12 months | $6.1B | |
| EBITDA, last 12 months | $1.1B | 18.6% of revenue |
| Depreciation and amortization | $229M | |
| Capital spending | $80.0M | |
| Debt | $2.6B | |
| Cash | $182M | |
| Share price | $324.22 | 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 20% 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, Zebra Technologies would cost about $453.91 a share, $21.7B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $371.88 | $17.8B |
| Median | 40% | $453.91 | $21.7B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $519.40 | $24.8B |
The odds, from history
Historically 2.7% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.54× the average). Its figures put it in decile 2 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.
Zebra Technologies' latest quarter
Zebra Technologies, Q3 2026: revenue $1.6B (+22% year over year), operating margin 14.7%, net earnings $164M, operating cash flow $324M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Zebra Technologies being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Zebra Technologies?
A leveraged buyout at today's price plus 30% ($421.49 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 $248.97 a share (−23% against today's $324.22).
What would a takeover of Zebra 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, Zebra Technologies would cost about $453.91 a share, $21.7B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.