Gen Digital, the maker of Norton 360 antivirus software, has made a takeover offer for GoDaddy in a deal valued at roughly $12 billion. GoDaddy shares jumped 11% and were briefly halted for volatility after the news broke, while Gen Digital shares slipped 7%. Talks between the two companies remain at an early stage, with no guarantee of a transaction.
Gen Digital, the cybersecurity company behind Norton 360 and LifeLock, has made a takeover offer for GoDaddy in a deal valued at roughly $12 billion. GoDaddy shares rocketed 11% Thursday and were briefly halted for volatility after the Financial Times first reported the approach. Gen Digital shares slipped 7% on the news.
Early-stage talks, no guarantee of a deal
Talks between Gen Digital and GoDaddy are at an early stage, according to people familiar with the matter, and there are no guarantees the approach will result in a transaction. Gen Digital's first offer was made in recent weeks, the people said. Both companies declined to comment.
Two Arizona neighbors, very different businesses
Gen Digital and GoDaddy are both headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. Formed by the 2022 merger of NortonLifeLock and Avast, Gen Digital carries a market capitalization of $15.7 billion and has built a portfolio that includes CCleaner, ReputationDefender and LifeLock alongside Norton. GoDaddy, by contrast, evolved from domain registration into web hosting and small-business software, and its stock has fallen 55% from a record high early last year.
Why GoDaddy, and why now
A deal would give Gen Digital access to GoDaddy's base of more than 20 million small businesses and individual customers. Those customers use the company to manage roughly 81 million web domains — about one-fifth of all domains registered globally. GoDaddy reported almost $5 billion in revenue last year. Its second quarter of 2026 brought in $1.3 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase.
A rocky stretch for GoDaddy
GoDaddy's stock took a roughly 14% hit in February 2026 after the company missed earnings guidance. A class-action lawsuit followed in September 2026 alleging misleading disclosures about customer acquisition. Gen Digital has shown an appetite for acquisitive growth before: it bought fintech lender MoneyLion for about $1 billion last year, expanding beyond its core cybersecurity business into financial services.
The approach also lands amid renewed investor interest in legacy internet brands, months after Bending Spoons, owner of AOL and Vimeo, went public at a $25.7 billion valuation this summer.
Sources: Crypto Briefing, All News, UK homepage
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