07-30-2016, 11:21 PM
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung...32347.html
Quote:Micron filed a form 8-A with the SEC that invokes a rights issue that is triggered if any sole entity, such as a person or group, were to buy more than 4.99 percent of its shares. The market commonly refers to the technique as a "poison pill," as companies typically use it to avoid an unwelcome takeover attempt. The move has spurred widespread conjecture that Micron is under duress and about to be bought out, which makes sense considering the recent market consolidation.
There are several theories as to the identity of the potential suitor, but some seem more probable than others. The promise of a NAND fab is that it provides the ultimate low-cost advantage, along with engineering and time-to-market advantages, which breeds plenty of interest. Apple is the single largest NAND consumer in the world, and purchasing its own fab would put it on equal footing to its NAND fab-powered rival Samsung.
Intel also might be interested, as Micron has the option to buy out Intel's stake in their IMFT partnership in 2018. Seagate is also a commonly-named potential suitor, largely because it needs to counter WD's purchase of SanDisk. However, even though Seagate and Micron already have a strategic alliance, Seagate also has plenty of financial woes, which reduces the likelihood (but I still think its likely).
The Chinese government and its long-tentacled state-controlled Tsinghua Unigroup corporation are among the most likely to attempt to buy a majority stake of Micron, and they have already been busy.