Frances Schneider Electric nears $20B deal to buy US software group PTC: reports

France’s Schneider Electric is nearing a deal to buy US software group PTC for about $20 billion, the Financial Times reported on Sunday citing people with knowledge of the matter.A deal may be announced as soon as Monday, the newspaper said, adding that discussions between the two companies were ongoing and there was no certainty they would result in a deal.Reuters could not immediately verify the FT report.Schneider Electric and PTC did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment outside regular business hours.Boston-based PTC has a market value of $15.63 billion, according to LSEG data.In July, the company had lifted its annual revenue forecast after third-quarter results, betting on strong demand for its core industrial software and artificial intelligence-powered tools....