{"text":[[{"start":12.15,"text":"Schneider Electric is closing in on a roughly $20bn takeover of US engineering software provider PTC in a deal that would be the French industrial conglomerate’s largest acquisition ever, according to people familiar with the matter. "}],[{"start":27,"text":"An agreement could be announced as soon as Monday, although discussions between the two companies were ongoing and there was no certainty they would result in a deal, the people said. "}],[{"start":36.65,"text":"The potential transaction would boost Schneider’s offering of software solutions that can aid manufacturers with designing industrial products and engineering specifications."}],[{"start":47.9,"text":"US-listed PTC has a market capitalisation of $15.5bn, meaning the expected deal would value the target company at a sizeable premium to its closing share price on Friday. PTC’s shares have fallen 15.3 per cent so far in 2026. "}],[{"start":65.5,"text":"Shares in Schneider, which specialises in energy management and industrial automation, are up 28 per cent this year, giving it a market capitalisation of €175bn. It ranks as France’s third-largest listed company. "}],[{"start":80.4,"text":"PTC was founded in Boston in 1985. In 2026, the US group is expecting to generate up to $2.75bn in revenues. "}],[{"start":90.10000000000001,"text":"Buying PTC would far eclipse Schneider’s $11bn takeover of UK-listed Aveva in 2023, which first helped to extend the French group’s reach into industrial software."}],[{"start":102.7,"text":"PTC’s software, including design product Creo, would complement capabilities secured through the acquisition of Aveva. These products provide software to help design manufacturing plants and engineering processes. "}],[{"start":116.9,"text":"Schneider’s potential acquisition of PTC would mark a rare software transaction amid a marked slowdown in dealmaking in the sector as companies grapple with the implications of AI for their business models."}],[{"start":129.45000000000002,"text":"The anticipated deal would rank among the larger cross-border transactions of 2026. In the three months to the end of September, only 10 megadeals, valued at more than $10bn, were agreed globally. "}],[{"start":142.55,"text":"Schneider and PTC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "}],[{"start":147.55,"text":"Schneider’s chief executive Olivier Blum, who is less than two years into the top job, told investors last year that the company would be active in pursuing acquisitions, especially software-focused deals which would supplement its industrial automation business. "}],[{"start":162.60000000000002,"text":"In June, Schneider struck a $3.1bn deal to buy industrial data and AI provider Cognite. Last month, Schneider announced it would pay $1.4bn to buy Bulgarian technology company Shelly Group, which makes at-home smart devices. "}],[{"start":178.8,"text":"Schneider, which provides energy and technology services to chipmakers such as Nvidia, has been among the beneficiaries of the boom in AI-focused data centres. Services for data centres now generate roughly a quarter of Schneider’s sales. "}],[{"start":199.25,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1791166304_1728.mp3"}