Sources say Western Digital and Armor resume merger talks

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizen OC_Formula for the clue delivery! CTOnews.com, January 5 (Xinhua)-- memory chipmaker Western Digital and Japan's Armor Holdings have resumed merger talks, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The current discussion, which resumed at the end of last year, is still in its early stages and may end in the absence of an agreement, the report said. When asked about the news, Xia said he would not comment on market rumors or speculation, while Western Digital said it did not speculate on M & An activity.

The armor was spun off from Toshiba in 2018, and the company and Western Digital operate a joint flash chip factory in Yokkaichi in central Japan.

CTOnews.com has learned that Western Digital had previously said it was reviewing strategic alternatives, including options to spin off its flash and hard drive businesses. In August 2021, it was reported that Western Digital was in early talks with Shexia about a possible merger and acquisition, which could be worth more than $20 billion (currently about 137.8 billion yuan).

However, negotiations between the two companies have reached an impasse over a range of issues, including differences in valuations and uncertainty over approval from the Japanese government, Reuters reported in October 2021, citing sources.