Atos Buys Syntel in $3.4 Billion U.S. Push for Amex, FedEx

Atos SE agreed to buy Syntel Inc. in a $3.4 billion cash deal to help it get better access to U.S. financial customers like American Express Co. and State Street Corp. At $41 a share, the transaction is also a way for acquisitive French computer-services provider Atos to recover from a rebuffed bid 8 months ago for Gemalto NV, which secures digital payments for banks and other clients. “We’ve just acquired a massive booster to our U.S. business and to our digital business,” Atos Finance Chief Elie Girard said in a call with reporters on Monday.