Filing Flows › Zscaler (ZS) › Takeover & LBO
Is Zscaler (ZS) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout does not work for Zscaler on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 0.5% ($15.3M on revenue of $3.4B), too thin to carry buyout debt. Historically 3.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.76× the average).
Why a leveraged buyout does not fit
Zscaler kept 0.5% of its revenue as EBITDA over the last 12 months ($15.3M on $3.4B). A margin that thin cannot carry the debt a leveraged buyout needs — a small dip in sales would leave nothing for interest — so the model gives no buyout price.
What a takeover could cost
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 30% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 12% to 31%), according to the 14 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Zscaler would cost about $309.18 a share, $49.7B for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 12% | $266.37 | $42.8B |
| Median | 30% | $309.18 | $49.7B |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 31% | $311.56 | $50.1B |
The odds, from history
Historically 3.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (0.76× the average). Its figures put it in decile 4 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.
Zscaler's latest quarter
Zscaler, Q4 FY26: revenue $898M (+25% year over year), operating margin -1.7%, net loss $3.4M, operating cash flow $279M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Zscaler being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Zscaler?
A leveraged buyout does not work for Zscaler on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 0.5% ($15.3M on revenue of $3.4B), too thin to carry buyout debt. A margin that thin leaves almost nothing to pay interest with, so buyout debt does not fit.
What would a takeover of Zscaler cost?
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 30% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 12% to 31%), according to the 14 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Zscaler would cost about $309.18 a share, $49.7B for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.