DOCU: DocuSign Shares Sign Off on 12% Gain as Buyout Talks Trigger Buying Spree

E-signature company is now worth $13B and early-stage takeover discussions point to private equity firms as prospective buyers.

• DocuSign stock DOCU soared 12% to almost top $13B in valuation after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is exploring a potential sale. DocuSign folks, the report said, are talking with advisors on pitching the firm to private equity buyers and technology companies.
• Talks are still in the early stages and may fall through at any given moment. Before Friday’s rally, shares of the e-signature platform were languishing with about a fifth of their valuation underwater on the year. The company went public in 2018, boasting a $6B valuation.
• The buyout, if materialized anywhere near DocuSign’s current value, would be among the biggest ones of the year. The just-under $14B takeover of electronics firm Toshiba 66502 by Japan Industrial Partners is 2023’s biggest private equity deal.