Are these reseller giants considering a Cancom takeover bid?

Cancom said it is 'considering options' regarding a sale

Cancom is "considering options" for a sale, with resellers including CDW, NTT and Bechtle reportedly in the frame as buyers.

Bloomberg reports that Cancom SE and its largest shareholder are weighing up their options after receiving buyout approaches over the last few months.

Sources said discussions were at an early stage and there's no certainty that an offer will be made. The newswire put PE firms EQT and Permira in the frame as potential buyers, as well as larger rivals CDW, Bechtle and Japan's NTT.

Bechtle's CEO, Thomas Olemotz, contacted Bloomberg to say there are currently no ongoing talks between Bechtle and Cancom. The Neckarsulm-based VAR only closed its largest-ever acquisition in September last year in the shape of €420m-revenue French player Inmac Wstore.

Cancom's share price has rocketed by more than 84 per cent since the start of January. The Munich-based firm has consistently logged double-digit revenue and profit growth each quarter throughout 2018 and the first half of this year.

Its revenues have more than doubled over the last five years, reaching €1.38bn (£1.22bn) in full-year 2018.

US reseller behemoth CDW has been tipped to be in the market for another blockbuster acquisition in Europe, after it initially landed in the UK in 2015 through acquiring Kelway for $431m in cash.

CDW CEO Christine Leahy confirmed last month that the firm is proactively looking for M&A opportunities to aid geographic expansion, and did not rule out acquiring a large player.

Canalys' CEO Steve Brazier also predicted CDW will acquire one of Europe's top 10 largest resellers by the end of 2020.

Cancom told CPI that it does not wish to comment on Bloomberg's report. Bechtle also said it did not wish to comment further, while CDW had not responded to our requests for comment by the time of publication.