Despite Rumor, F5 Networks Unlikely to be Acquired

It’s summer, when the living is easy and rumors make the rounds.

One rumor that began circulating yesterday is that F5 Networks, the market leader in networking gear for secure application delivery and optimization, is about to be acquired. Undoubtedly, several players — including Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, and private-equity firms with wheelbarrows full of money — would consider acquiring F5 for a reasonable premium above its current market capitalization of about $2.2 billion. In the past, however, F5 has steadfastly resisted takeover overtures, and I don’t think anything has changed to make the company more receptive to acquisition bids now.