Thread regarding VMware layoffs

Held up by China

On Broadcom's Q3 earnings call, Tan said the deal has won "foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions."

But that statement wasn't enough for Piper Sandler analyst Harsh Kumar, who asked if China would be a problem.

"Let me say this," Tan replied. "I made those specific notes or remarks on regulatory approval. I ask that you think it through, read it through and let's stop right there."

Sounds like he deliberately misled investors. If they had won approval in all jurisdictions, why are they now waiting for China and South Korea?

by
| 7551 views | | 21 replies (last October 18, 2023) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1p8iI1oz

21 replies (most recent on top)

Hock chose his words very carefully - what he said is accurate, albeit confusing.

"Foreign investment control clearance" - also referred to as "Foreign Direct Investment" (FDI) clearance - is a subcategory of the regulatory clearances required to close. FDI regulators are looking at the effect of the acquisition on things like national security, public health and safety, supply chain continuity, etc.

The other category of regulatory clearances is antitrust clearance. These regulators are looking at the anticompetitive effects of the acquisition. (Note: in some jurisdictions, the deal was reviewed by both an FDI regulatory agency and an antitrust regulatory agency.)

In China, the holdup is antitrust clearance, not FDI clearance. So, again, what Hock said was accurate.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1hlf+1p8iI1oz

We know lots in EMEA innit.

Kissing, invented by the French.
Being tall, invented by the Dutch (New Yorkers imported a few back in the 17th, in a Borg~esk play).
History, invented by the English.

Trump that lot, I dare you.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1xrg+1p8iI1oz

I always love mixing geopolitics with how I’ll make my mortgage payment.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @stx+1p8iI1oz

You dont have idea about what is going on in EMEA. Some id--ts talking about Biden will go to China, LOL! follow what is happening in burning EMEA then make comment. After understood that maybe you can understand why China blocks acquisition

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @xrp+1p8iI1oz
Can we just close this already? I’m ready to get a severance and move on. This has been soul su-king.

If it is severance you want, you waited year and half. What’s few more weeks??

Now the rest of us that needs/wants jobs are the once that are worried, the f thing doesn’t go the way we want.

Before you judge the once that still wants jobs,.

Every one has a valid reason, to each their own

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @ccu+1p8iI1oz

Bc needs to be conscious of its rare-earth metal supply line as well… if they pi-s china off too and they’ll need to go get material from Africa which costs like 4x as much. Just saying…

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @uit+1p8iI1oz

Deal will close as planned. First set of offers out this Friday. So take it to say for the rest of this week.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @jcg+1p8iI1oz

Can we just close this already? I’m ready to get a severance and move on. This has been soul su-king.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @xrs+1p8iI1oz

I doubt China blocks the deal eventually but there is a huge risk that they may play all sorts of games threatening to block BC if they move forward etc. Is Hock going to take that risk, absolutely not. No way is he going to put BC business in danger to acquire VMW.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @ofu+1p8iI1oz

IIRC, layoffs postponed now ? Great news !!!! Lets partyyyy

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @rkv+1p8iI1oz
VMware might not have much revenue in China, but BC might. So they're putting that at risk, if they still go ahead with merger without approval.

BC has substantial revenue in China and as we know China plays dirty, they may not hesitate to ban BC from doing business or put some onerous restrictions on their busines there. It will be China saying F U to BC not the other way around.

Irony that this may turn out to be similar to their acquisition of Qualcomm which Trump blocked last minute due to retaliation from the US side when they were a foreign company. Now it's exactly the opposite.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @tww+1p8iI1oz

Definitely a last min wild card. Doubt they can just say F China though.

VMware might not have much revenue in China, but BC might. So they're putting that at risk, if they still go ahead with merger without approval.

But China's unlikely to give immediate approval considering they just got hit with chip restrictions. It would be a loss of face for CCP, which they're very conscious of.

Minimum this could delay the deal. Max this torpedo's the whole thing.

But Hawk's unlikely to just walk away. He's spent a whole yr/countless hours on this deal.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @klc+1p8iI1oz

Now worries. Biden is traveling to China to address this, and other matters, assuming he can stay upright

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @nqz+1p8iI1oz
The White House move apparently triggered speculation that China may hit back by derailing the blockbuster merger between Broadcom and VMware. China has not announced anything on the deal.

https://www.investors.com/news/technology/vmware-stock-will-biden-ai-chip-curbs-china-derail-broadcom-vmware-deal/

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @gpg+1p8iI1oz

That or he’s about to play “F around and find out”, he can then hang out with Jack Ma reminiscing

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @xje+1p8iI1oz

they will probably do what dell and emc did years ago and say F china and just open up a small "VMware/Broadcom China" LLC to surpass approvals

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @vfk+1p8iI1oz

Hock is just weighing the opportunity costs right there. It’s no surprise that he won’t publicly state that he gives a sh-t about China.

You have to see it from this perspective, if this obstructs the deal and it gets delayed it will most likely have a massive negative impact on the share price. On the other side, what can China do? The law states possible fines from 1-10% of annual Revenue within China and possible freeze of assets.

My bet here is, the fines and frozen assets are just less than the hit on the stock this could result in.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @eyo+1p8iI1oz

Thank you. This is helpful.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @txo+1p8iI1oz

\/ \/...both comments spot on...

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @uub+1p8iI1oz

"all necessary jurisdictions" is the key here... I believe he intends to go ahead without regulatory approval from China. Someone had mentioned that VMW China business isn't that big anyway so I think they have done the analysis and don't care much about it, they will get the approval somewhere down the line and deal with it.

Don't expect this to derail the close on Oct 30

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @dpk+1p8iI1oz

It sounds like HT gives two $#*+s about China's approval.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @zba+1p8iI1oz

Post a reply

: