by Anthony Palazzo, Bloomberg
Tesla Inc. agreed to acquire battery-technology company Maxwell Technologies Inc. for about $218 million in stock, as Elon Musk’s electric car maker adds expertise in energy storage and power delivery.
The purchase price of $4.75 a share, announced by Maxwell in a statement on Monday, amounts to about a 55 percent premium to the target’s closing price on Feb. 1.
The companies share a goal of building a more sustainable future, Maxwell Chief Executive Officer Franz Fink said in the statement. The deal will allow Maxwell shareholders “to participate in Tesla’s mission of accelerating the advent of sustainable transport and energy.”
Tesla shares wiped out their premarket gains and were down less than 1 percent to $311.90 in early trading after the announcement. Maxwell shares were halted on the news.