The American software company NortonLifeLock, formerly known as Symantec, is negotiating the acquisition of the Czech antivirus company Avast. It would thus strengthen consumer software in its portfolio. With reference to informed sources, the American economic newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) wrote this today, which estimates the value of the transaction at more than eight billion dollars (approximately 173 billion CZK). If one of the parties does not end the negotiations, the agreement could be concluded by the end of this month, WSJ sources said.
The sheet is based on an estimate of the transaction based on the market value of Avast, which is now around £ 5.2 billion (CZK 155.7 billion). WSJ added to the market capitalization a premium that is typical of such trades. Avast shares are traded on the Prague and London stock exchanges.
Avast is a Czech multinational antivirus company that has been operating on the market since 1988. It is one of the pioneers in the field of computer security. It supplies security programs for computers and mobile devices and, according to experts, is one of the world’s best. Avast products are used by over 435 million users worldwide, largely free of charge. The company says it employs more than 1,700 people and blocks 1.5 billion computer attacks every month. The founders of Avast hold a roughly 35 percent stake in the company.
NortonLifeLock is located in Tempe, Arizona. The company has a market value of about $ 16 billion and previously operated under the name Symantec. However, in 2019, it sold its enterprise and government security software maker Symantec’s section to Broadcom, a US chipmaker. Its most prominent business items are now Norton antivirus and LifeLock identity theft protection products.