On Tuesday, the stock of network equipment supplier Juniper Networks was one of the best performers on the US equity markets, on the back of rumors of a takeover by HPE.

Around 15 minutes after opening, the data center hardware specialist climbed 22% to its highest level since 2011, while HPE shares fell more than 8%.

According to the Wall Street Journal, HPE is in advanced discussions to acquire Juniper for around $13 billion.

While the two groups have not yet commented on the rumors of a tie-up, some analysts have already reacted to the speculation.

"From HPE's point of view, investors can be expected to question the strategic logic of such a major operation", says one professional.

But it would not be surprising to see HPE take an interest in Juniper's Mist artificial intelligence to complement its product portfolio", he adds.

HPE currently has a market capitalization of $21 billion, while Juniper is valued at around $11.7 billion.

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