 Bloomberg -- Analog Devices Inc. agreed to acquire rival Maxim Integrated Products Inc. for 20.9 billion in stock, heralding what may develop into a new round of consolidation in the 400 billion semiconductor industry.Analog Devices will pay 0.63 share for each Maxim share, representing a 22 premium to Maxims closing share price on Friday, the two companies said in a statement early Monday. Analog Devices shareholders will own about 69 of the combined company, which will be valued at about 68 billion including debt, the companies said.The acquisition of San Jose, California-based Maxim creates a larger rival for Texas Instruments Inc. in the market for analog and embedded processor chips, crucial components in the spread of computing and intelligence to everyday devices.After a lull in such combinations caused by trade tension between China and the U.S. and regulatory holdups, Nvidia Corp. won approval for its acquisition of Mellanox Technologies Ltd. in the Asian country in March, creating new confidence that deals such as the Maxim purchase can go ahead.Acquisitions in general are starting to return after several quiet months while companies dealt with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The move by Analog Devices comes on the heels of Uber Inc. announcing a 2.65 billion deal for Postmates Inc., Allstate Corp. agreeing to a record 4 billion takeover of National General Holdings Corp. and Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. spending roughly the same amount on a gas pipeline and storage assets.Some chip deals have either been delayed or abandoned if they require approval in China, the worlds largest market for semiconductors. The U.S. is home to the biggest chunk of the worlds producers of the electronic components.Analog Devices is currently less than half the size of market leader Texas Instruments Inc. by revenue. While Maxim wouldnt allow it to close the gap totally, it would broaden the range of products in the analog portfolio, something that Texas Instruments has touted as helping to cement its dominance.All three companies specialize in analog and embedded computing components. Once a sleepy backwater of the industry, this segment has enjoyed a resurgence as the list of uses and customers has grown in recent years. Analog chips convert real-world things like sound and pressure into electronic signals, and the rush to add automation to factory equipment and buildings and to move cars toward a world where they wont need human drivers has stirred new demand.Its also a very profitable area of the chip industry. Analog Devices and Maxim have gross margins, or the percentage of sales remaining after deducting the cost of goods sold, in the region of 65.Since 2015, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index has tripled in value. The benchmark index now has a market capitalization of more than 1.5 trillion. Over that same period, chip companies have been increasingly consolidating to help them lower costs and serve customers that have done the same. Their earnings have become more predictable and their cash generation has provided them with war chests and the ability to carry debt they couldnt have sustained in the past.Additional context on merger, shares.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2020 Bloomberg L.P. 