Skip to main content

Samsung Electronics Co. (005930), which last week agreed to invest more than $100 million in Sharp Corp. (6753), said an offer to buy the Japanese company’s photocopier business was rejected.

“We initially showed interest to take over Sharp’s photocopier operation, but Sharp refused the proposal,” Chenny Kim, a spokeswoman for Samsung, said by phone today, without disclosing a price. Miyuki Nakayama, a spokeswoman for Sharp, confirmed the approach was rejected.

Samsung, the biggest maker of smartphones, said March 6 it will buy about 3 percent of Osaka-based Sharp for 10.4 billion yen ($108 million) to secure liquid-crystal displays for phones and televisions. The unprofitable Japanese company is trying to raise funds with capital alliances and asset sales after forecasting a record full-year loss of 450 billion yen.

Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung is tightening its focus on the company’s imaging business as high-end smartphones, its biggest profit driver, crimp camera demand with high-quality picture functions.

Samsung’s offer for Sharp’s copier unit was reported earlier today by Sankei, which didn’t provide a value for the business.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jungah Lee in Seoul at jlee1361@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Simple math tells us that Sharp recently rec'd $120M USD from Qualcomm and $110M USD from Samsung totaling $231M USD. Six months from now Sharp has to come up with $2.1B USD or else the sh*t will hit the fan for Sharp.

Not that I am a high finance expert by any means but at least the acknowledgement by Sharp that they are interested in receiving bids on the copier division means that it is not a sacred cow for Sharp.

Somewhere I read that any Japanese Corporation will do what is has to do to stay solvent.

If Samsung really wants this Sharp copier business they have more money than they know what to do with. Like in any negotiation, as the deadline approaches positions can change.
Last edited by SalesServiceGuy
this will put the whole industry on edge tomorrow and I wonder how sharp USA will spin this one. They did a good job on the other one, however this is now twice is 7 months. Like other P4P'ers have stated, it may not be up to Sharp execs only, the banks have a say in this.

Can't wait to hear reactions tomorrow.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp rejected an offer by Samsung Electronics Co. to buy its copier and printer unit as part of a deal that will see Samsung invest $110 million in return for a 3 percent stake.

"We did get a proposal from Samsung, but we declined," said Sharp spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama. She would not say how much Samsung offered and why Sharp refused.

Sharp needs to repay a $2.1 billion convertible bond due in September and selling the profitable copier business would help raise cash, but it would also diminish the company's cashflow.

The copier unit manufactures photocopiers, printers and fax machines for offices.

Sharp in December won an agreement from Qualcomm to invest as much as $120 million. Analysts expect the company to resort to fresh equity financing to bolster its cash reserves before September.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; editing by Miral Fahmy)
One of the interesting sides to this would be what would happen to Sharp's direct operations under a Samsung take over of the copier operation. Samsung in Canada has been extremely adamant that they do not do direct sales in any of their operations, consumer or BtoB. Interesting to watch these global operations shift.
quote:
Originally posted by lep524:
One of the interesting sides to this would be what would happen to Sharp's direct operations under a Samsung take over of the copier operation. Samsung in Canada has been extremely adamant that they do not do direct sales in any of their operations, consumer or BtoB. Interesting to watch these global operations shift.


Samsung has been looking for a way into the North american market going on 5 years now. they own 90% of the MFP/Printer market in Korea (Look it up). If Samsung gets the business from Sharp they will have a small but established infrastructure that will give them a foothold into North America.

With all the doom and gloom out reports from the analysts these days its good to hear something new and exciting.
Sharp May Sell Copier Operations to Samsung
03/12/2013| 11:06pm US/Eastern
TOKYO--Sharp Corp. (>> Sharp Corporation) is considering selling its copier operations to Samsung Electronics Co. (SSNHY), the Sankei Shimbun reported in its Wednesday morning edition.

The paper said that Samsung may be interested in using the operations, currently ranked fifth globally, to complement its smartphone and other information systems operations.

Last week Samsung said it signed a deal to buy a 3.0% stake in Sharp for 10.4 billion yen ($110 million) as the embattled Japanese electronics maker scrambles to raise funds and secure customers for its liquid-crystal displays.
Yoda:

Here is that release, still tough times for Sharp.

After failing to advance far enough toward a manufacturing process goal, Sharp says that it will miss a March 29 deadline to receive the second half of a $120 million investment from chipmaker Qualcomm.

In December, the ailing Japanese electronics maker said it reached a partnership with U.S.-based Qualcomm, which agreed to invest $120 million in a project to jointly develop display panels. However, as reported by Reuters, Qualcomm's conditions included the stipulation that Sharp meet strict deadlines to fabricate power-conserving screens, and as a result, Sharp will not yet be granted the remaining $60 million the San-Diego based firm originally pledged.

In addition, Qualcomm has insisted that Sharp must make an operating profit in the second half of 2013, and at least $1.05 billion of net assets have to be in place.

The screens that Sharp has to produce were developed in conjunction with Pixtronix, a subsidiary of Qualcomm. The panels are focused on conserving power through Pixtronix's low-power MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) displays and Sharp's IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology.


Related stories:
Foxconn won't be investing in Sharp after all
Is Sharp on its last legs?
Sharp to take out $313 million in loans for ailing business -- report
Sharp wouldn't sell copier, printer business to Samsung -- report


Instead, both firms are falling back to a deadline of June 30, according to Reuters. Although this gives Sharp time to get its act together, if the electronics maker does not produce the jointly developed screens in time for the second deadline, it is likely to put even more financial pressure on the already struggling company.

This month, South Korean firm Samsung agreed to invest 10.4 billion yen, or about $111.3 million in Sharp for roughly a 3 percent stake in the company. In a press release announcing the deal, Samsung said the investment was aimed at building up "mutual trust" in the LCD display business as well as offering Sharp a little help getting out of its financial mire -- although it won't be nearly enough. Sharp currently supplies display panels for Samsung products.

Sharp must pay off a $2.1 billion convertible bond in September this year, and reports suggest that the Japanese company has been forced to take out bank loans totaling $313 million to try and stay afloat.
Samsung eyed Sharp copier biz in tieup talks

Kyodo



Mar 14, 2013
Article history



PPRINT
↪SHARE




OSAKA – Struggling electronics maker Sharp Corp. rejected an offer from Samsung Electronics Co. to buy its copier business during talks to form a capital tieup, sources said Wednesday.

It’s unknown how much Samsung offered. The South Korean company, which sees copiers as the next growth business after smartphones, could make another buyout offer, the sources said.

Sharp regards the copier business as one of its core operations in its restructuring plan. The copier operation generates a profit on an operating basis, unlike its money-losing liquid crystal panel business.

Samsung apparently intended to expand its copier business through the acquisition of Sharp’s operation.

Under their capital and business alliance agreement announced earlier this month, Sharp said it will accept about ¥10 billion in investment from Samsung this month and increase its supply of LCD panels to the South Korean electronics giant.
The A3 manufacturers have their antennas out listening to what Samsung has to say and offer and will react defensively to maintain market share. Samsung's new product line only goes up to 35 cpm in Colour A3, relegating them to an add on product line for any dealer. If a dealer gets too far out of line with Samsung, assumed discounts on 55 cpm Colour copiers might not be approved.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×