IT identity protection specialist Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA) officially became one asset larger Monday. The company announced that morning that its acquisition of privately held peer Auth0 had closed, sewing up a deal that was originally valued at $6.5 billion.
Okta first announced the acquisition in early March. While the purchase price is seen by some as a bit rich, Okta is paying for it entirely with Class A common stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
Auth0's new owner said in its announcement that the company will operate as an independent unit within its corporate structure. It will continue to be helmed by its CEO, Eugenio Pace. Auth0's platform is to be integrated with that of Okta's; the latter company did not provide a time frame for this to occur.
"A single, unified identity platform has the power to transform an organization by providing seamless and secure access for both customers and employees," Okta quoted CEO Todd McKinnon as saying.
"By joining forces, we'll give our customers more choice and flexibility, driving tremendous value and enabling them to accelerate innovation," he added.
Okta previously wrote that owning Auth0 would "accelerate" its growth in the online identity space, which it said is worth $55 billion.
Assuming that Okta's goal of fusing the two platforms together seamlessly is achieved, it should be a formidable competitor in a segment that is niche but still significant.
That price tag is quite eye-popping though; perhaps that's why investors traded down Okta stock Monday. It closed 5.1% lower on the day, in contrast to the 0.3% bump enjoyed by the S&P 500 index.
Find out why Okta is one of the 10 best stocks to buy now
Motley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*
Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now. Okta is on the list -- but there are nine others you may be overlooking.
Click here to get access to the full list!
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2021
Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Okta. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
