DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Dollar Tree, iRobot, Bloom Energy and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dollar Tree — Shares of the discount retail chain popped 1% following an upgrade to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan. SoFi Technologies — Shares of the financial services provider surged 21% after the company reported its fourth-quarter financial results. ZoomInfo Technologies — Shares jumped more than 6% after Bank of America upgraded shares to buy from neutral on revenue growth acceleration. The firm cited tailwinds including improving market share and volume trends, as well as an attractive valuation and strong top-line growth. Flywire — Shares of the fintech company gained 3.75% after being upgraded by Morgan Stanley to overweight from equal weight.

Persons: McGrath RentCorp, McGrath, SoFi, iRobot, Koji Ikeda, Wells, Flywire, Morgan Stanley, Beam, —, Samantha Subin, Yun Li, Michelle Fox, Alex Harring, Lisa Kailai Han, Sarah Min, Pia Singh, Tanaya Macheel Organizations: WillScot Mobile, JPMorgan, Wall, Amazon, Bain Capital, Western Digital, Kioxia Holdings, Bloom Energy, Bank of America, ZoomInfo, Hershey —, AllianceBernstein, Warner Bros, —, Beam Locations: Japan, AATD

☆ Japan's Kioxia reports Q2 loss, says prices have bottomed out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The result at Bain Capital-backed Kioxia, formerly Toshiba Memory, compares with a loss of 130.8 billion yen three months earlier. Merger talks between Kioxia and Western Digital (WDC.O) have stalled, Reuters reported previously, after Kioxia investor SK Hynix (000660.KS) said it did not back the deal. Selling prices have bottomed out, Kioxia said, pointing to expected higher shipments of smartphones and PCs next year. Revenue fell quarter-on-quarter with Kioxia saying the smaller loss was because of higher average selling prices with a boost from the weaker yen. Separately, Toshiba (6502.T), which holds a stake in Kioxia after selling its chip unit to the Bain-led consortium in 2018, posted a 26.7 billion yen net loss in the second quarter.

Persons: Kioxia, Bain, Sam Nussey, Tom Hogue Organizations: Taipei, REUTERS, Rights, Bain Capital, Toshiba, Western, Reuters, SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Revenue, Japan Industrial Partners, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Kioxia, KS

☆ Chinese chipmaker YMTC sues Micron alleging patent infringement
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 12 (Reuters) - Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) has filed a lawsuit against U.S. rival Micron Technology (MU.O) alleging infringement of eight of its patents. YMTC filed the lawsuit against Micron and unit Micron Consumer Products Group on Nov. 9 at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. According to the lawsuit, Micron turned to YMTC's patented technology to fend off competition from YMTC and to gain and protect market share. In May, China said Micron products failed a network security review and barred purchase of them by operators of key infrastructure. ($1 = 7.2934 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama and Brenda Goh; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, YMTC, YMTC's, Anirudh Saligrama, Brenda Goh, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Micron, REUTERS, Memory Technologies, U.S, Micron Technology, Micron Consumer Products Group, Northern, Northern District of, South, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Toshiba, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Northern District, Northern District of California, U.S, Fujian, Xian

☆ Western Digital to separate into two companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Western Digital Corporation is displayed at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Yoshiyasu Shida/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 30 (Reuters) - Western Digital (WDC.O) said on Monday it would split itself into two companies that would focus on the hard drive and flash memory markets, days after talks of a merger with Japan's Kioxia stalled. Western Digital shares were up nearly 10% before the bell. The company launched a review of alternatives last year after activist investor Elliott Management disclosed a stake of nearly $1 billion in Western Digital and pushed it to separate those businesses. Reports last week said merger talks between Western Digital and Japan's Kioxia Holdings had stalled as opposition from Kioxia investor SK Hynix (000660.KS) complicated the on-again, off-again deal.

Persons: Yoshiyasu, Japan's Kioxia, Elliott, Samrhitha, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Western Digital Corporation, REUTERS, Western Digital, Elliott Management, Japan's Kioxia Holdings, SK Hynix, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Bengaluru

☆ Japan Inc is only winner in nixed chip deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But this failed tie-up does have a winner of sorts: Japan Inc.That’s precious little consolation for the others involved. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe nixed deal also complicates Bain Capital’s exit strategy from Kioxia. Yet Western Digital was set to be the majority partner in the proposed deal. The Nikkei business daily also said that Kioxia and Western Digital were unable to agree on conditions with top Kioxia shareholder Bain Capital. The news sent Western Digital shares down 9%.

Persons: Elliot, Bain, Nobuo Hayasaka, –, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Japan Inc, Western Digital, Elliot Investment Management, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Toshiba, SK Hynix, Western Digital’s, Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, –, Western, South Korea's SK Hynix, U.S, Nikkei, Bain Capital, Thomson Locations: HYDERABAD, India, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Western Digital and Japan's Kioxia call off merger talks - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Ann/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and Japan's Kioxia Holdings have broken off talks to create one of the world's biggest chipmakers, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday. The companies were also unable to agree on conditions with top Kioxia shareholder Bain Capital, the report added. Western Digital, Kioxia and Bain Capital did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Shares of Western Digital sank 12% on the news. Kioxia and Western Digital have held merger talks since 2021 but the negotiations have often stalled over a series of issues, including valuation discrepancies.

Persons: David Dolan, Aditya Soni, Juby Babu, Chavi Mehta, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Taipei, REUTERS, Rights, Western Digital Corp, Japan's Kioxia Holdings, Nikkei, SK Hynix, Bain Capital, Samsung Electronics, South Korean SK Hynix, Kioxia, Western Digital, Western, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, U.S, Kioxia, Bengaluru

☆ Kioxia has reached out to JIC to invest in merger with Western Digital - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Japanese chipmaker Kioxia's products are displayed at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Kioxia Holdings has reached out to state-backed Japan Industrial Partners (JIC) to invest in a planned merger of its flash memory business with that of Western Digital, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Japan's top banks are set to commit to 1.9 trillion yen ($12.67 billion) in financing to support the merger, Reuters reported on Thursday. read more($1 = 149.9400 yen)Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Rocky Swift, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kioxia Holdings, Japan Industrial Partners, Western Digital, Bloomberg, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Japan's top banks are set to commit to 1.9 trillion yen ($12.7 billion) financing to support the merger of Kioxia Holdings and Western Digital's flash memory business, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Several tech deals have been scuppered in recent years due to delays in regulatory approvals or rejections by China. 2 player in NAND flash memory chips - and Western Digital's fourth-ranked flash business, would control a third of the global NAND flash market, on par with top player Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). Kioxia and Western Digital have held merger talks since 2021 but the negotiations have often stalled over a series of issues including valuation discrepancies. In Japan, the two companies jointly produce NAND flash memory chips, which are widely used in smartphones, personal computers and other devices to store digital data.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Bain, Nobuo Hayasaka, Makiko Yamazaki, Miho Uranaka, Maki Shiraki, Miyoung Kim, Tomasz Janowwski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kioxia Holdings, Reuters, Intel Corp, China ., Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Development Bank of Japan, SK Hynix, Toshiba Corp, Samsung Electronics, Nasdaq, Western, Mitsubishi, Mizuho, Sumitomo Mitsui, Western Digital, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, Kioxia

☆ SK Hynix denies report about approaching SoftBank on Kioxia merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Memory chips by South Korean semiconductor supplier SK Hynix are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - South Korea's SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS), the world's second-largest memory chip maker, said on Wednesday it has not approached Japan's SoftBank Group (9984.T) to partner up in a possible deal with memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings Corp.A Nikkei report earlier on Wednesday said SK Hynix is reluctant to back a merger between U.S. rival Western Digital's memory chip operations and Kioxia, in which SK Hynix holds a stake. The report went on to say that SK Hynix had sounded out SoftBank for a partnership in case the merger falls through. "SK Hynix denies Nikkei's report that the company approached SoftBank for collaboration with regard to the Kioxia-Western Digital deal," the company said in a statement, without commenting on its stance on the merger. Kioxia and Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) are pursuing a merger as a global chip glut and weak demand for flash memory chips strengthens pressure for chipmakers to consolidate.

Persons: Florence Lo, Japan's, SoftBank, Kioxia, Joyce Lee, Anton, Simon Cameron, Moore, Louise Heavens Organizations: SK Hynix, REUTERS, Rights, Korea's SK Hynix Inc, Japan's SoftBank, Kioxia Holdings Corp, Nikkei, Wednesday, U.S, Western, SoftBank Group, Western Digital Corp, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. REUTERS/Sam Nussey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE/TOKYO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan chipmaker Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW) is considering around five sites in Japan, including Mie prefecture, for setting up a potential $5.4 billion factory as talks on subsidies progress, sources said. Powerchip is looking at around five sites for the factory, the source said. One option is Mie prefecture in central Japan, two sources said, close to the industrial hub of Nagoya and fabs operated by Taiwan's UMC (2303.TW) and Japan's Kioxia. A factory from Powerchip would mark a further commitment by Taiwanese chipmakers into manufacturing in Japan, with TSMC (2330.TW) building a factory in Kyushu in western Japan and eyeing a second.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Powerchip, Taiwan's UMC, eyeing, chipmaker, Fanny Potkin, Miho Uranaka, Muralikumar Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, SBI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, TOKYO, Taiwan, Mie, Nagoya, Powerchip, Kyushu

☆ Kioxia's banks to refinance $13.5 bln loan for Western Digital merger -Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) intend to submit a commitment letter for the refinancing next month, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources. Part of the loan will be used to pay special dividends to Kioxia's shareholders, Bloomberg said. Of the 2 trillion yen loan, 400 billion yen will likely be funded through loan commitments and the Development Bank of Japan will provide a loan of 300 billion yen. The rest will likely be equally split between the three megabanks, Bloomberg reported. Kioxia and Western Digital are speeding up merger talks and nailing down a deal structure, Reuters reported in May, amid a slump in the market for flash memory.

Persons: Kioxia, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Sam Nussey, Makiko Yamazaki, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Taipei, REUTERS, Rights, Western, Bloomberg, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Kioxia, Mizuho, MUFG, Development Bank of Japan, Western Digital, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan

☆ Maxlinear scraps nearly $4 bln deal for Taiwan's Silicon Motion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Maxlinear (MXL.O) said on Wednesday it has scrapped a near $4 billion deal to acquire Taiwan-based Silicon Motion . MaxLinear had agreed to buy the memory controller-maker Silicon Motion in May last year in a cash-and-stock deal worth $4 billion. Memory controllers are used to manage data in memory chips. NAND flash memory chips do not need power to retain data and are used in smartphones, personal computers and data center servers. MaxLinear was to pay $93.54 in cash and about 0.4 of its share for each Silicon Motion's American depositary shares, representing a total consideration of $114.34 per ADS.

Persons: chipmaker, MaxLinear, Akash Sriram, Chavi Mehta Organizations: Kioxia, Micron Technology, Samsung, SK Hynix, Western, Silicon, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ SBI Holdings to help Taiwan's Powerchip build a plant in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, July 5 (Reuters) - Financial firm SBI Holdings (8473.T) said on Wednesday it would help Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW) establish a factory in Japan as the country looks to revive its chip industry. "This is the best possible time to enter chip manufacturing," Kitao said at a joint press conference with the Taiwanese company's chairman, Frank Huang. Powerchip is currently looking at three or four potential sites and manufacturing could begin two years after construction starts, Kitao added. Japan is also funding a homegrown venture, Rapidus, which says it plans to produce advanced logic chips from the middle of the decade with help from IBM Corp (IBM.N). Powerchip provides contract manufacturing services for logic and memory chips for power management to customers including MediaTek Inc (2454.TW), Taiwan's largest designer of mobile phone chips.

Persons: Yoshitaka Kitao, Kitao, Frank Huang, Powerchip, Miho Uranaka, Tim Kelly, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed, Louise Heavens Organizations: Financial, SBI Holdings, Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Sony Group, Denso Corp, Kioxia Corp, Western Digital Corp, chipmaker Micron Technology, IBM Corp, MediaTek Inc, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Kumamoto prefecture, Hiroshima

☆ Toshiba gives shareholder management masterclass
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Its limited visibility on the value of the memory-chip specialist was one reason it cited for its earlier restraint. Follow @ugalani on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSToshiba said on June 8 that its board has decided to recommend shareholders accept a tender offer from a group led by Japan Industrial Partners. The tender offer is expected to be launched some time from late July. Among other factors, it cited limited visibility into the value of chipmaker Kioxia, of which Toshiba owns around 40%. In recommending the offer, Toshiba noted the book value of Kioxia’s shares had fallen since its March announcement.

Persons: Paul Singer’s Elliott, Daniel Loeb’s, Jerry Black, Antony Currie, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Toshiba, Japan Industrial Partners, Paul Singer’s Elliott Management, Farallon Capital, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Kioxia, Japan

The markets are headed toward a positive week and certain stocks stood out from the rest. The S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up 1.5% and 2.9% week to date, respectively. Regional bank stocks were among this week's most notable gainers after a difficult few weeks. Regional bank stocks Comerica and Zions Bancorporation saw the largest gains this week, with shares surging 22.7% and 21.8%, respectively. Semiconductor design company Synopsys ' stock jumped 12.5% week to date and hit a new 52-week high Friday.

☆ Dow, S&P edge up as data, debt ceiling curb gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chuck Mikolajczak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 47.98 points, or 0.14%, to 33,348.6, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 12.2 points, or 0.30%, to 4,136.28 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 80.47 points, or 0.66%, to 12,365.21. Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) climbed 2.16% as one of the top boosts to both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 after Loop Capital upgraded it to "buy" from "hold." Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidIn a relatively light week for economic data, investors will focus on retail sales, weekly jobless claims and housing data. The S&P 500 posted nine new 52-week highs and seven new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 59 new highs and 136 new lows.

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Monday he does not expect any interest-rate cuts this year, while Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said inflation is "much much too high" despite the rate hikes. Investors now await comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Friday for any clues on potential rate cuts this year. Shares of Magellan jumped 13.7%. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.14-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.92-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded six new 52-week highs and seven new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 44 new highs and 110 new lows.

Japan's Kioxia and U.S. chipmaker Western Digital have been hit hard by plunging market demand and oversupply. Combining their flash memory businesses could boost competitiveness against rivals like South Korea's Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). Western Digital did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Kioxia, previously Toshiba Memory, was sold by Toshiba Corp (6502.T) in 2018 to a consortium led by Bain Capital for $18 billion. Kioxia and Western Digital were in merger talks in 2021 before the negotiations stalled over a series of issues including valuation discrepancies.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Shake Shack, Charles Schwab, Activision Blizzard and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oneok shares slid 7.7%. The IRS is due to release the report this week, the Wall Street Journal reported. Activision shares added 1%, while Microsoft was little changed. The Wall Street firm said shares trade at a significant discount to peers. The Coach and Kate Spade parent has a strong valuation and long-term investment case, the Wall Street firm said.

Other investors who have held Toshiba longer may not be so lucky: the offer price represents a 15% discount from a December 2014 high. Some were introduced to JIP by Toshiba's management, some of the people said, declining to be identified because the information is not public. Toshiba's management, including CEO Taro Shimada, will stay on, while the government keeps Toshiba's sensitive defence and nuclear technologies in Japanese hands. Toshiba felt stable shareholders were desirable to end the tumult, unlike current shareholders "with many differing views", it said. JIP does not see the need for big strategy adjustments, Toshiba said.

☆ Toshiba board accepts Japan Industrial Partners' $15 bln buyout proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, March 23 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's (6502.T) board has accepted a buyout offer from a group led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners, valuing the company at 2 trillion yen ($15.2 billion), the company said on Thursday. [1/2] The logo of Toshiba Corp is seen at the company's facility in Kawasaki, Japan June 10, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo 1 2The fallout from that debacle eventually led to the strategic review and the buyout proposal. Toshiba started an auction process about a year ago, receiving eight initial buyout proposals as well as two offers for capital alliances. The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by $10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks.

☆ The long-running crisis at Japan's Toshiba
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Faced with more than $6 billion in liabilities linked to Westinghouse, Toshiba decides to put prized chip unit Toshiba Memory up for sale. Nov. 2021 - Toshiba says it will split into three companies, one for energy, one for infrastructure and the third to manage its Kioxia stake. Feb. 2022 - Toshiba announces a new plan to split into two, spinning off only its devices unit. April 2022 - Toshiba sets up a special committee to resume a strategic review that could see it taken private. Under pressure from shareholders, Toshiba announces a special dividend of some $545 million.

☆ Toshiba board accepts Japan Industrial Partners' $15 billion buyout proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Toshiba Corp's board has accepted a buyout offer from a group led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners, valuing the company at 2 trillion yen ($15.2 billion), the company said on Thursday. A successful deal would see the scandal-ridden industrial conglomerate taken private and firmly in domestic hands after much tension with overseas activist shareholders. Some 20 Japanese companies including financial services firm Orix Corp, chipmaker Rohm Co <6963.T> and Chubu Electric Power plan to take part in the deal, sources have said. Toshiba started an auction process about a year ago, receiving eight initial buyout proposals as well as two offers for capital alliances. The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by $10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks.

On Tuesday, Western Digital CEO David Goeckeler said the partnership with Apollo and Elliott would help "facilitate the next stages of Western Digital's strategic review." The latest investment is a precursor to a potential merger between Silicon Valley-based Western Digital and Japan's Kioxia Holdings Corp, according to people familiar with the matter. The sources, who requested anonymity as these discussions are confidential, said the talks between Western Digital and Kioxia are still active. Western Digital and Kioxia jointly produce NAND chips, which are widely used in smartphones, TVs, data center servers and public announcement display panels. Qatalyst Partners, Lazard and J.P. Morgan are serving as Western Digital's financial advisers and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as Western Digital's legal adviser.

Search resuls for: "Kioxia"

25 mentions found