IT services in sweet spot as M&A gathers steam

By S. John Tilak

BANGALORE (Reuters) - The U.S. information technology services sector is likely to be a focus of merger and acquisition activity as its companies are among the most attractive in the technology space.

A rebound in tech spending has increased the appeal of IT services companies and put them in the crosshairs as deal momentum picks up in the industry.

The ongoing recovery in the economy and credit markets has made tech companies look for ways to come out on top, and they have shown a willingness to pay hefty premiums in a sector that has historically commanded high prices.

IT services firms have a recurring revenue stream, high margins, a strong growth outlook and impressive returns on investment, making tempting targets for buyers. They offer consulting, software services, business process outsourcing, systems integration and interactive marketing.

Cash-rich technology giants plan to strengthen their portfolios, and smaller firms want to stay in the game through acquisitions as their larger rivals become even more formidable.

Attractive acquisition candidates include Sapient, Computer Sciences, WNS, Amdocs, Cognizant Technology and ExlService, analysts said.

Consolidation is under way. In September, Xerox Corp said it would buy Affiliated Computer Services Inc in a deal valued at about $5.5 billion, and Dell Inc said it planned to buy Perot Systems Corp for about $3.9 billion.

"The pattern here is that you have commoditizing tech product companies looking for a strategy that's better than doing nothing," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Rod Bourgeois said.