Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Technology / Apps/  Here’s why Tim Cook may cut Apple’s biggest deal ever in Japan
BackBack

Here’s why Tim Cook may cut Apple’s biggest deal ever in Japan

Apple is in talks to invest about $3 billion in Toshiba's memory chips business as part of a consortium led by Bain Capital

Apple is interested in the chip unit because of the strategic importance of flash memory. They are essential for its iPhones and iPods, storing every photo, video clip and animoji. Photo: ReutersPremium
Apple is interested in the chip unit because of the strategic importance of flash memory. They are essential for its iPhones and iPods, storing every photo, video clip and animoji. Photo: Reuters

Tokyo/Seoul: It’s been a busy week for Apple Inc. while chief executive officer Tim Cook showed off the 10th anniversary iPhone in California, his lieutenants worked half a world away on what may become the company’s largest deal ever.

Apple is in talks to invest about $3 billion in Toshiba Corp.’s memory chips business as part of a consortium led by Bain Capital, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple plans to take an equity stake that could total 16% in a group that also includes Dell Inc., Seagate Technology Plc and SK Hynix Inc., they said. That support convinced Toshiba to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bain and work toward a final agreement this month, they said. If the agreement is completed, it may exceed Apple’s largest deal yet, the $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics LLC.

Apple is interested in the chip unit because of the strategic importance of flash memory. The compact chips are essential for its iPhones and iPods, storing every photo, video clip and animoji. Only a handful of companies make the highest-end technology and the dominant player is Samsung Electronics Co. The last thing Cook wants is to end up dependent on his archrival in smartphones, so he wants Toshiba’s chips unit to stay healthy.

“A lot of this is opportunism," says Mark Newman, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein in Hong Kong. “If Apple is involved, then they have a little bit more say in the industry structure."

Toshiba has been in negotiations since January to sell off its chips business and pay for a losses in its nuclear business. The sale has been held up because Western Digital Corp., a joint venture partner with Toshiba in the chips business, has argued it has rights in any sale and filed for arbitration in the US. Toshiba needs to raise the money by March to avoid seeing its shares delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Toshiba declined to comment.

Apple is helping swing the deal away from Western Digital, one of the Cupertino, California company’s own suppliers that tried to buy the chips unit with KKR & Co. Apple has actively opposed Western Digital’s bid, in part because it would concentrate power within the chips industry, the people said. Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock declined to comment.

Led in Japan by managing director Yuji Sugimoto, Bain worked through spring and early summer to assemble a bid with two state-backed funds, Innovation Network Corp. of Japan and Development Bank of Japan. The consortium offered about ¥2.1 trillion ($19.1 billion) and was selected as the preferred bidder in June. But as Western Digital and chief executive officer Steve Milligan became increasingly vocal in its opposition, INCJ and DBJ decided to pull back.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry then encouraged Toshiba to accept the rival offer from KKR and Western Digital, people familiar with the matter said at the time, in an effort to end the litigation and reach a deal quickly. But Yasuo Naruke, head of Toshiba’s chips business, resisted the proposal, the people said.

In the meantime, Sugimoto worked to win Apple’s support. The US company had originally backed an offer from Terry Gou, the Taiwanese billionaire whose Foxconn Technology Group makes iPhones. But by this month, it was clear that Japanese opposition to Foxconn was insurmountable. Apple and Cook signed on with Bain.

The precise composition of the Bain group is still in flux and may change, the people said. There is no guarantee they will be able to reach a final agreement with Toshiba.

After Toshiba announced its MOU with Bain, Western Digital said it is “disappointed" and that it would continue to pursue arbitration claims. Toshiba said Thursday it “regrets" that Western Digital is persistently overstating its rights and that the Japanese company is committed to completing the chip sale by March.

“Western Digital was playing a very aggressive legal campaign against their partner, arguably taking advantage of Toshiba’s financial distress," says Newman, “and one part of this is just Apple stepping in and saying, ‘Look, that’s enough."’ Bloomberg

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Technology News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 14 Sep 2017, 07:46 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App