Is Oracle eying a BEA buyout?

The rumor mill was in high gear last week, with word that BEA Systems is ready to be acquired. Larry Ellison's Oracle is currently the front-runner on the short list of would-be suitors. While this particular rumor is a bit of a re-tread that has been swirling for more than a year, it looks like BEA's sock price may be low enough now for Ellison to go ahead and try to take a bite. BEA's stock was selling at $11.41 last week, after setting a five-year high of $16 last November. It's been as low as $5 (in the second quarter of 2002). If Oracle does acquire BEA, which has a market cap of $4.49 billion, a large installed base, and a solid reputation for quality intellectual property and products, it would essentially be gobbling up a competitor. BEA would be just another item in Oracle's now robust shopping cart; it acquired business intelligence supplier Hyperion for $3.3 billion earlier this year. Meanwhile, HP also looks like it could be another potential buyer.

To read more about BEA's plans:
- read the article in eWeek