RBC says HubSpot pullback on report of Google shelving bid a buying opportunity

Following “unsubstantiated reporting from Bloomberg” that Google (GOOGL) has shelved efforts to acquire HubSpot (HUBS), RBC Capital analyst Rishi Jaluria said the firm is “not surprised” to see reported negotiations stall out and never expected a formal offer to materialize. The firm, which believes there would have been too much antitrust scrutiny for Google to pursue an acquisition and views HubSpot as having “a much brighter future as a standalone company,” would take advantage of the reaction and buy shares for duration on the weakness. The firm maintains an Outperform rating and $700 price target on HubSpot shares.