14 DAY TRIAL // The group of nine financial institutions that hold the controlling stake for Hynix Semiconductor, for the third time, had received no letters of intent from possible purchasers when they closed bids, even though the closing date was extended by two weeks. This development comes even though Hynix is the second largest maker of DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and despite the strong demand for PCs and electronics that has caused DRAM prices to rise.
Early this year, the government of the United Arab Emirates expressed their interest in acquiring a stake in Hynix. Such a purchase would help the UAE develop its own semiconductor industry, considering that Abu Dhabi already controls Globalfoundries, the contract maker of semiconductors currently ranked third worldwide. Abu Dhabi even has a large stake in Advanced Micro Devices, second largest x86 processor supplier worldwide. Nevertheless, the bids closed without any offers, which will likely prompt lenders to sell a part of their combined 28% stake to institutional investors, in portions.
Korea Exchange Bank said that one of the options that the creditors are reviewing implies, reports Bloomberg, a block of sales of some shares, but the group will still remain open to bids from interested parties.
“We will consider all options, including selling part of the stake. We can also discuss receiving a letter of intent from any interested buyer in the future,” KEB said in a statement. "We are always open for discussions with companies that are interested in buying Hynix."
The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) of Abu Dhabi and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA) announced their interest in purchasing a stake in Hynix in mid-January, in a memorandum of understanding. The low interest, however, remains likely due to the debts of the memory chip player, which amount to 4 trillion won, or $3.5 billion, Reuters mentions.