AMD in talks to buy rival chipmaker Xilinx for $30bn

Deal will give the chipmaker the power to compete with Intel’s solutions for data centres

AMD’s interest in Xilinx reflects the increasing demands of cloud-services providers such as Amazon.com and Alphabet’s Google. Those companies are spending heavily on new data centres. AP

Advanced Micro Devices is in advanced discussions to buy Xilinx in a takeover that could be valued at $30 billion, according to sources.

The deal could come together as early as next week, though things remain in flux, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing a private deal. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the negotiations.

A combination with Xilinx would give AMD chief executive Lisa Su more of the pieces needed to break Intel’s stranglehold on the profitable market for data-centre computer components. It would follow moves by rival Nvidia, which bought Mellanox Technologies and aims to use its pending acquisition of Arm to grab more of that business.

Acquiring Xilinx, which makes programmable chips for wireless networks, would also help AMD expand into a new market just as telecommunications carriers spend billions to build fifth-generation, or 5G, networks.

Xilinx, based in San Jose, California, makes field programmable gate arrays, or FPGAs. That kind of chip is unique because its function can be altered by software, even after it’s been installed in a piece of machinery. Xilinx’s chips have historically been used in telecommunications equipment, but under chief executive Victor Peng, the company is expanding into products targeted at data centres. The other major supplier of advanced FPGAs is Intel, which acquired its market position through the purchase of Altera in 2015.

Xilinx shares closed at $105.99 in New York on Thursday. That gives it a market capitalisation of $25.9bn, about a quarter of AMD’s value. Shares of AMD closed at $86.51. The stock has almost doubled this year.

Under Ms Su, who took the helm in 2014, AMD has surged back from the brink of failure. It’s made gains against long-time rival Intel in desktop computer processors and laptops. The company is also working to reverse its fortunes in the server business. For years, Intel had relegated AMD to less than 1 per cent of that market.

AMD’s interest in Xilinx reflects the increasing demands of cloud-services providers such as Amazon.com and Alphabet’s Google. Those companies are spending heavily on new data centres to meet the surge in demand for computing power delivered via the internet. They’re also racing to enhance services, such as search, with AI software, and many companies are experimenting with building their own hardware to do so. That’s putting greater pressure on chip providers to advance their offerings.

For AMD investors, how the company intends to finance the deal may prove crucial in persuading them to sign off. At the end of its most-recent quarter, AMD had cash and equivalents of $1.8bn, less than several other chipmakers.

Nvidia is using stock to partially fund its purchase of Arm. Analog Devices’ acquisition of Maxim Integrated Products is an all-stock deal. That partly reflects a huge run-up in the value of chip companies in recent years, lead by AMD and Nvidia.

Xilinx shares have not rallied as much. The stock is up 8 per cent this year compared with a gain of 27 per cent by the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index. AMD has surged nearly 90 per cent, making it the second-best performer behind Nvidia.