Sharp remains in talks with several companies on possible deals for its loss-making liquid crystal display (LCD) business, which posted a loss of 12.7 billion yen ($105 million) in the July-September quarter. "I cannot provide any names, but we are currently in negotiations with multiple companies," Sharp CEO Kozo Takahashi told a news conference, adding that he could not say when any deal would be finalised.

Sharp on Friday reported a group net loss of 83.61 billion yen ($700 million) for the first half of fiscal 2015, taking a hit from slumping sales of its smartphone displays in China.

Its consolidated operating loss stood at 25.16 billion yen on sales of 1.28 trillion yen, down 3.6 percent from a year earlier.

Sharp is now expecting an operating profit of 10 billion yen on sales of 2.7 trillion yen for the fiscal year through March.

The display device division recorded a 26.4 billion yen operating loss for the six-month period through September, as Sharp saw weak demand for its small and midsize displays amid fierce price competition.

The consumer electronics division that includes liquid crystal display televisions was also in the red, with a 1.9 billion yen operating loss.

Sharp has taken a series of restructuring steps, including cutting jobs and selling its headquarters building in Osaka, western Japan.

Sharp's main banks, growing frustrated with little improvement after two major bailouts in three years, repportedly want it to find a buyer for all or part of its ailing LCD business within months.