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☆ 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

☆ 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

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

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.

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.

All of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes were up by early afternoon trading, with a 2.5% rise in tech stocks (.SPLRCT) making them the biggest gainers. "All those names and sectors (chipmakers) in general just got beat up much more than the market in general overall. So now in a lot of those names, there's value," said Jimmy Lee, chief executive officer of Wealth Consulting Group. Xylem Inc (XYL.N) dropped 8.74% on its acquisition of water treatment solutions firm Evoqua Water Technologies Corp (AQUA.N) in a $7.42 billion deal. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 3.40-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.90-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

☆ Wall Street rises as chipmakers lead tech shares higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Six of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes were up in early trading, with a 1.3% rise in tech stocks (.SPLRCT) making them the biggest gainers. "All those names and sectors (chipmakers) in general just got beat up much more than the market in general overall. Analysts now expect fourth-quarter earnings from S&P 500 companies to fall 2.9%, according to IBES Refinitiv data, compared with a 1.6% drop at the beginning of the year. Investors are also awaiting January manufacturing and fourth-quarter GDP data to assess the impact of the Fed's rate hikes on the economy. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.05-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.60-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

☆ Wall St eyes higher open with earnings in full swing, Salesforce rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The tech-focused Nasdaq (.IXIC) index was the only major Wall Street benchmark that ended the previous week higher. Analysts now expect year-over-year fourth-quarter earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.9%, according to IBES Refinitiv data, compared with a 1.6% decline at the beginning of the year. Among other stocks, Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O) slid 1.4% on missing fourth-quarter profit estimates, hit by component shortages and supply chain disruptions. Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) rose 4.0% on a report that the memory chip maker could merge with Japan's Kioxia Holdings. Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Western Digital, Kioxia in advanced talks for merger - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Western Digital office building is shown in Irvine, California, U.S., January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mike BlakeJan 20 (Reuters) - Memory chip maker Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and Japan's Kioxia Holdings Corp are in advanced talks for a possible merger which will involve a dual-listing, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. A combined Kioxia-Western Digital would control a third of the NAND flash market, putting it on par with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) . Western Digital and Kioxia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Kioxia, one of the biggest producers globally of flash memory and solid-state storage, is a key supplier to Western Digital.

HONG KONG, Jan 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Western Digital (WDC.O) faces a daunting M&A challenge. Both outfits specialise in a type of memory chip called NAND flash, which is used in smartphones, computers and data centre servers. Yet even if the logic for a combination looks more compelling against this backdrop, the M&A hurdles Western Digital faced in 2021 are even more challenging today. The union between Western Digital and Kioxia will be a long slog, but worth it. Shares of Western Digital rose 7.7% to $35.63 during after-hours trading in New York on Jan. 4.

☆ Western Digital, Japan's Kioxia restart merger talks - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Memory chip maker Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and Japan's Kioxia Holdings Corp have restarted merger talks, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Kioxia, which was spun off from Toshiba Corp (6502.T), and Western Digital operate a joint flash memory chip plant in central Japan's Yokkaichi. When asked about the report, Kioxia said that it does not comment on market rumours or speculation, while Western Digital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. U.S.-based memory chip firm Western Digital said in June that it was reviewing strategic alternatives, including options for splitting off its flash-memory and hard disk drive businesses. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Silvergate Capital, Walgreens, Amazon and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

People walk by a Walgreens, owned by the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., in New York City, November 26, 2021. Check out the companies making headlines and moves in premarket trading. Walgreens Boots Alliance — The drugstore stock fell about 2% in premarket even after the company reported fiscal first quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates. Western Digital — Shares jumped more than 5% after Western Digital and Japan's Kioxia Holdings resumed merger talks, according to a Bloomberg News report that cited sources familiar with the matter. American Express — The stock fell 1.48% in the premarket after being downgraded by Stephens on Thursday to underweight from equal weight.

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