HashiCorp Edges Higher As IBM Sees Smoother M&A Path Under Trump: Retail Stays Neutral

HashiCorp (HCP) stock edged higher as markets opened on Thursday after IBM (IBM) signaled a more favorable environment for acquisitions under the Trump administration.

On IBM’s fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Arvind Krishna expressed confidence that regulatory scrutiny on corporate mergers would ease, allowing deals to clear more quickly.

“We think reasonable deals have a very good chance of getting through in a reasonable amount of time, without being held up for years,” Krishna said.

IBM’s pending $6.4 billion acquisition of HashiCorp has been under regulatory review, particularly in the U.K. However, Krishna was optimistic about closing the deal soon, citing a potentially friendlier stance toward M&A under Trump.

“Hashi has been waiting out there for almost a year. We certainly hope that with a friendlier environment, that gets done soon,” Krishna said.

IBM estimates that acquiring HashiCorp would add about one percentage point to its annual revenue growth. The deal is projected to be accretive to IBM’s adjusted EBITDA within 12 months and to free cash flow within two years.

Hashi Corp. Sentiment and Message Volume on Jan.30 as of 8:40 a.m. ET | Source: Stocktwits

However, retail sentiment on Stocktwits around HashiCorp remained ‘neutral’. 

Chatter was also subdued at ‘extremely low’ levels as the bullish news failed to extract excitement from retail investors on the platform. 

HashiCorp’s shares have gained by over 50% in the last year, but remained relatively flat with only a 0.18% uptick so far in 2025. 

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