II-VI has made a "superior" buyout proposal of $7 biillion
The shares of Coherent, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHR) are up 4.7% to trade at $268.93 at last check, after optical components maker II-VI (IIVI) put in a buyout bid of $7 billion, deemed "superior" to the one placed by Lumentum Holdings (LITE). Under the revised proposal, shareholders of Coherent would receive $220 in cash, and 0.91 II-VI shares for every Coherent share owned.
Today's pop has pushed COHR to its highest level in three years. The equity has more than tripled in the last 12 months, enjoying a year-over-year return of 226.5%, thanks to several bull gaps since January. The 40-day moving average could provide potential support going forward, too. The trendline has captured several pullbacks during the last several months, including a drop from its previous peak in early February, which petered out at the $264 area.
Despite this positive price action, analysts are hesitant. Five of the six in coverage call COHR a "hold," while the remaining brokerage says "strong sell." What's more, the 12-month consensus price target of $197 is a 26.9% discount to current levels, which could lead to upgrades and/or price target hikes going forward, should the equity continue to climb.
While volume is still relatively muted, COHR's options pits are popping today, with 233 calls and 61 puts across the tape so far -- triple the intraday average. The most popular position is the March 250 call, followed by the 260 call in the same monthly series, both of which expire at the end of Friday.