Synopsys has received conditional approval from the European Commission for its $34 billion acquisition of Ansys, marking a significant step forward in the regulatory process. The approval comes after Synopsys and Ansys offered structural remedies to address competition concerns, including divesting certain overlapping software assets. The European Commission's antitrust chief, Teresa Ribera, noted that these commitments would preserve competition in the design software market for semiconductors and other products, ensuring customers continue to have access to innovative tools at competitive prices.
The acquisition, which aims to integrate Synopsys' electronic design automation (EDA) capabilities with Ansys' simulation and analysis software, has garnered strong customer support. Synopsys has also made progress in other jurisdictions, with the UK Competition and Markets Authority provisionally accepting remedies and the U.S. HSR Act waiting period expiring. The company is working with the FTC and China's SAMR to finalize approvals, expecting to close the transaction in the first half of 2025.
Despite the positive regulatory news, Synopsys shares closed down 1.88% at $492.54 on January 10th, after opening at $497 and reaching a low of $485.11 during the day.