Dell to Become Publicly Traded Again
Dell Technologies will become a public company again December 28.
The company said it received shareholder approval to return to public markets and buy back a tracking stock that's linked to its stake in VMware.
On December 28, 2018, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, Dell Technologies Class C shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DELL).
The world’s largest private technology company on Tuesday secured more than 61 percent of tracking stock DVMT’s unaffiliated shareholders. Of those who cast a ballot, 89 percent voted in favor. DVMT acts as a proxy for Dell’s stake in software maker VMware Inc. Round Rock, Texas-based Dell will buy out DVMT in a cash and share-swap deal that values DVMT’s market capitalization at $23.9 billion.
"We appreciate our stockholders' support. With this vote, we are simplifying Dell Technologies' capital structure and aligning the interests of our investors," said Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies. "This strengthens our strategic position, as we continue to deliver innovation, long-term vision and integrated solutions from the edge to the core to the cloud. We've created Dell Technologies to be our customers' most trusted partner in their digital transformation."
In 2016, Dell cited that same long-term vision when his company went private and acquired EMC. Dell said his company can think in decades as a private company without the hassle of quarterly earnings reports.
Dell's buyout plan had its controversy as Carl Icahn opposed the deal, the company sweetened its offer and Icahn dropped a proxy fight.
Overall, Dell has performed well as a private company, paid down its core debt and fared well with its PC and data center businesses. However, tax law changes meant that Dell couldn't write off the interest on its debt.
Dell, once a household name for its personal computers, has invested in boosting its capabilities in cutting-edge software and cloud integration. It’s now known for its lineup of servers, storage hardware and networking gear. Through its $67 billion acquisition of EMC Corp. in 2016, Dell also now has a growing suite of software tools.
VMware, which makes virtualization software to maximize workloads on servers, will remain a publicly traded company independent from Dell, despite the computer maker’s 81 percent ownership stake.