HPE, Juniper on DOJ's Blocking Proposed $14B Acquisition

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks maintained that the proposed $14 billion acquisition between the two companies is “pro-competitive” in response to the Department of Justice’s decision to file suit to block the all-cash deal.

“We will vigorously defend against the [DOJ’s] overreaching interpretation of antitrust laws and will demonstrate how this transaction will provide customers with greater innovation and choice, positively change the dynamics in the networking market by enhancing competition, and strengthen the backbone of U.S. networking infrastructure,” HPE and Juniper said in a joint statement published Thursday.

DOJ Sues to Prohibit HPE’s Juniper Acquisition

According to a complaint filed in the Northern District of California, DOJ alleges that the proposed acquisition would eliminate fierce head-to-head competition between HPE and Juniper, which are the second- and third- largest providers of enterprise WLAN technology in the U.S.

“HPE and Juniper are successful companies,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “But rather than continue to compete as rivals in the WLAN marketplace, they seek to consolidate — increasing concentration in an already concentrated market.”

HPE, Juniper Agree on $14B All-Cash Deal

In January 2024, HPE agreed to buy Juniper in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $14 billion, or $40 per share. The proposed deal seeks to expand the former’s networking business in response to the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence tools and hybrid cloud platforms.

Sponsor