Sam Badawi
Stock Analyst, Creator of Origins of Alpha & Quarterly Conviction
A potential Lumentum acquisition could let Marvell pair custom AI chips with the optical infrastructure connecting them. Following Celestial AI, it could become one of the few companies offering both, moving toward an AI-focused version of Broadcom; financing a deal this large remains a major concern. x.comÂ
Marvell could see a massive wave of demand as co-designer of Amazon's Trainium chips if AWS sells them directly to companies. Amazon is reportedly in talks to sell Trainium to businesses for their own data centers, after CEO Andy Jassy said it is quite possible Amazon will sell racks of its custom AI chips to third parties. Marvell is pushing to new all-time highs. x.com x.comÂ
Lumentum's 109% year-on-year growth and sold-out capacity through 2029 make selling its AI optics exposure questionable. Bloomberg reported Marvell is in advanced talks to buy it; the appeal depends on the price, especially when holders of an $80 billion Lumentum would become holders of a $320 billion-plus Marvell growing 37%. x.comÂ
Marvell's willingness to heavily dilute its shareholders suggests a takeover would probably be an exceptionally good deal for Lumentum. Marvell must have a strong reason to pursue the rumored purchase so aggressively; Lumentum should accept if offered such a deal. x.comÂ
Marvell risks paying a peak-scarcity price for Lumentum if optical supply catches up by 2028-30. The proposed ~$99B deal values Lumentum at roughly 20x guided annualized revenue and 58x estimated after-tax operating income, while Lumentum, Coherent and Chinese suppliers are adding laser capacity. The DSP-and-laser combination has strategic logic, but durable scarcity economics and Nvidia's response remain uncertain. x.comÂ
Buying Lumentum would make Jensen Huang's $1 trillion vision for Marvell seem more realistic, but a roughly $200 billion Marvell would need to dilute shareholders heavily to acquire an approximately $80 billion Lumentum. The deal was still reported as nearing agreement, not completed. x.comÂ
Owning Lumentum's laser fab could secure Marvell's FY28 supply and hedge its DSP franchise as optical links shift to CPO. The rumored deal's strategy makes sense, but short-term pain is likely: at a 30% premium, roughly $17.5B in new debt and the rest in stock, rough math puts EPS dilution near 15%. It turns accretive only if Lumentum outgrows Marvell at today's guided rates for five or six more quarters, which looks achievable while the laser shortage lasts. x.com x.com x.comÂ
A possible Lumentum deal could dilute Marvell's shares and add enough debt to cut forecast 2027-28 EPS by at least 20%. A 70% stock structure would require about 360M new shares and $32B in debt; a 50/50 structure, about 275M shares and $57B in debt. A higher multiple from today's 45x looks unlikely to offset the hit soon. The next year could be difficult, even if the deal proves very bullish from 2028 onward. x.comÂ
The Lumentum merger makes Marvell's path toward a $1 trillion valuation look clearer if it executes well. Jensen Huang had called Marvell the next $1 trillion company. Lumentum's demand is sold for the next two to three years, though whether that gives Marvell an edge remains an open question. Marvell looks like a long-term opportunity, but the route to building a position is still unclear. x.comÂ
Marvell looks interesting at less than 30x calendar-2027 EPS against expected 60-70% annual EPS growth, but overpaying for Lumentum could drive its shares lower. Marvell could pay up to $110B, roughly a 30% premium; the stock-versus-debt mix is unclear, and Lumentum holders might own a third of the combined company. If the deal falls apart, Marvell could rise 10-12%. x.comÂ
Marvell's potential Lumentum acquisition may fail to increase per-share value because the added profits may not cover dilution and financing costs. A simplified calculation using reported market values implies roughly 38%-45% more shares, requiring about 45% more combined net profit to preserve EPS; debt would add interest and repayment pressure. If the price already reflects future growth, a control premium and possible customer concerns add risk. x.comÂ
Lumentum's optics business is too valuable to sell for less than $2,000 a share, making a rumored Marvell takeover implausible. Lumentum is worth at least $2,000 a share now; a $120 billion purchase would consume about 60% of Marvell's roughly $200 billion market value, while a fair price would be closer to $160 billion in this view. x.com x.com x.comÂ
