Microsemi Reportedly Mulls Sale

　　Chipmaker Microsemi has been approached with a takeover offer and is exploring its options, including possible sale, according to a report by the Reuters news service.

　　The report, which cites an anonymous source said to be "familiar with the matter," says that Microsemi hired investment bank Qatalyst Partners to advise the company on its the prudent course of action.

　　Microsemi (Mission Viejo, Calif.) did not respond to a request for comment made by EE Times.

　　The merger and acquisition wave that has gripped the semiconductor industry over the last two years subsided somewhat last year, with the total value of semiconductor industry M&A deals announced falling to $27.7 billion, down from $107.3 billion in 2015 and $99.8 billion in 2016, according to market watcher IC Insights. A dwindling number of chip companies considered ripe for takeover is one of the principal reasons that market watchers believe the M&A fervor has cooled.

　　However, Microsemi is considered a high-value target, with 2017 revenue of around $1.8 billion, up from $1.66 billion in 2016. The company has a leadership position in chips for military and aerospace applications, as well as products for data center and industrial markets.

　　Analysts, including Christopher Rolland of Susquehanna Financial Group, have included Microsemi among their leading candidates for acquisition among semiconductor companies in 2018.