HPE Settles DOJ Lawsuit, Paves Way for $14B Juniper Acquisition

Deal News | Jun 30, 2025 | EIN

HPE Settles DOJ Lawsuit, Paves Way for $14B Juniper Acquisition

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to proceed with its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The DOJ had filed an antitrust lawsuit in February, concerned that the merger would heavily concentrate the U.S. networking equipment market between HPE and Cisco Systems. To gain DOJ approval, HPE is required to sell its Instant On business, which competes with several SMB-targeted wireless access point providers, to a DOJ-approved buyer. Moreover, HPE must license Juniper's Mist AIOps source code. These measures aim to maintain market competitiveness. The merger, if judicially approved, is expected to deliver strategic benefits and enhance HPE's competitive stance in AI networking against Cisco and other players.

Sectors

  • Technology
  • Telecommunications Equipment

Geography

  • United States – The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit and settlement concerning HPE and Juniper Networks took place in the United States, which is a major location for the operations of both companies.

Industry

  • Technology – The article discusses the acquisition deal involving HPE and Juniper Networks, both of which operate within the technology sector, specifically in networking and AI software.
  • Telecommunications Equipment – Both HPE and Juniper Networks provide networking and telecommunications equipment, making this industry pertinent to the article.

Financials

  • $14 billion – The acquisition value of Juniper Networks by HPE.
  • $1.2 billion – Revenue generated by HPE's Intelligent Edge segment, which includes the Instant On business for the first quarter of 2025.
  • $20.61 per share – HPE stock price after the settlement was announced.
  • $39.93 per share – Juniper Networks stock price after the settlement was announced.

Participants

NameRoleTypeDescription
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)Bidding CompanyCompanyAn American multinational enterprise information technology company pursuing the acquisition of Juniper Networks.
Juniper NetworksTarget CompanyCompanyA company that designs and markets networking products and services, being acquired by HPE.
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)GovernmentGovernmentThe DOJ filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the HPE-Juniper merger but reached a settlement allowing the transaction to proceed with conditions.
Cisco SystemsOther CompanyCompanyA major competitor in the networking equipment market, mentioned in relation to how the merger affects market dynamics.
Ron WestfallOther PersonPeopleAn analyst at HyperFrame Research, provided insights on the deal's implications.
Michael McDowellOther PersonPeoplePrincipal analyst at Nand Research, commented on the strategic aspects of the settlement.
Will TownsendOther PersonPeopleVice President at Moor Insights & Strategy, provided analysis on the settlement ending distractions for HPE.