Jacobs Engineering to be sold to private equity firms?

Rumors are swirling about a possible buyout of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, CA), a 55,000-person technical professional consulting firm, by a private equity firm. Jacobs has received a $56-per-share takeover offer from interested parties Blackstone and Texas Pacific Group, according to Dow Jones on Friday. This will be a development that bears watching and one that could greatly shake up the industry landscape. Jacobs has remained active in the M&A marketplace, including a deal in February to acquire Jordan, Jones and Goulding, Inc. (Atlanta, GA), a 500-person civil engineering firm that is expected to strengthen Jacobs' standing in the burgeoning water and wastewater market.

What do you think about this speculation? Do you expect a deal to be done? If so, what comes next?