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Infonet to buy Equant?
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September 5, 2000: 7:32 p.m. ET
U.S. telecom network co. in talks with Equant; acquisition could fetch $9B
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Infonet Services Corp. is in talks to acquire Equant N.V., a Dutch-based telecommunications network provider, in a transaction that could cost the U.S. company nearly $9 billion, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
The talks have been on and off over the summer and could still fall apart. Equant is also in talks with France Telecom but negotiations with Infonet are more advanced. One analyst said Equant could fetch as much as $8.9 billion, the newspaper said.
Infonet declined to comment. Both Equant and France Telecom (FTE: Research, Estimates) could not be reached for comment.
 Equant (ENT: Research, Estimates) operates a worldwide data, voice and Internet distribution system that reaches 220 countries. The Amsterdam-based company held merger discussions with France Telecom and Global Crossing (GBLX: Research, Estimates) this summer but both sets of talks failed, the Financial Times said. Equant posted revenue of $660 million for the six months ended June 30.
El Segundo, Calif.-based Infonet (IN: Research, Estimates) provides Internet, intranet, ATM and integrated voice and data services in more than 60 countries. The company reported net income of $7.7 million, or 2 cents a diluted share, for its fiscal 2001 first quarter, compared to a net loss of $1.4 million and no cents for the same time period in 2000. The company, which went public in December 1999, posted revenue of $154.2 million for the quarter.
Shares of Equant rose $5.56 to $45.44 Tuesday, Infonet gained 50 cents to $15.38 and France Telecom lost $3 to close at $128. 
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