Schneider shares fall more than 8% as French group’s bid extends year of acquisitions
PTC’s board decided to recommend that the company’s shareholders approve the transaction, according to Schneider. PTC President and CEO Neil Barua said the deal allows the company to expand into new markets while bringing certain and compelling value to shareholders. Schneider Chief Executive Olivier Blum said the acquisition of PTC creates a software and AI powerhouse with a portfolio bridging the physical and digital worlds.
The deal extends a year of acquisitions at Schneider, a company with roots in industrial-revolution France two centuries ago whose fortunes are increasingly tied to AI. In June, the company agreed to buy industrial data and AI software provider Cognite Holding for $3.1 billion, and last month it launched an approximately 1.2 billion euro ($1.35 billion) takeover bid for smart-device maker Shelly Group. Schneider said it sees in PTC a complementary asset that expands its offering upstream into product design and engineering, building a portfolio for an age of industrial AI in which the technology moves beyond digital applications and is embedded in machines and physical products.
Schneider said it sees around 800 million euros in potential revenue synergies and annual cost savings of 250 million euros by the third year after completion. PTC reported revenue of $2.74 billion for the year through Sept. 30, 2025. After the deal closes, nearly a quarter of Schneider’s revenue will come from software and services, up from less than a fifth currently. The acquisition aims to create one of the largest industrial-software portfolios as artificial intelligence reshapes customer needs, Schneider said.
Schneider’s German peer Siemens has also pushed into industrial software in recent years through its multibillion-dollar acquisitions of U.S. companies Altair Engineering and Dotmatics.
PTC shares had been under pressure this year amid investor concerns about the broader software industry due to AI, and the company had moved to speed up buybacks in response to what it viewed as a compressed valuation of its stock. Since the beginning of 2026 through Friday’s close, PTC shares were down 17%. Shares in the French engineering giant have almost doubled in value over the past three years as the data-center build-out sparked a surge in demand for its prefabricated IT and power modules, cooling systems and other products.
Schneider said it expects to complete its own 600 million euro buyback this year before pausing stock repurchases in 2027 and 2028. The company reiterated its commitment to a buyback program of 2.5 billion to 3.5 billion euros through 2030.
The two companies expect to close the deal by the third quarter of 2027.