Is Carlyle Looking At The Next Fiber Gold Rush?

Private equity has certainly been waking up to tech lately (including the recent discussions about disk drive maker Seagate (NYSE:SGX), so perhaps Carlyle's interest in cable and wireless equipment maker CommScope (NYSE:CTV) is nothing more than an opportunistic deal. Thinking about the bigger picture, maybe Carlyle is looking for a second gold rush in the cable and fiber markets. 

The Deal That Might Be
At this point there is no official deal, but CommScope has confirmed that there are discussions. According to a Bloomberg report, Carlyle would possibly offer $31.50 per share in cash - a deal that would be a decent one-third premium to CommScope's closing price on Friday. Interestingly enough, though, not only is that price not all that rich on a valuation basis, but it does not even match the company's 52-week high. (For related reading, check out Private Equity A Trendsetter For Stocks.)

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