Samsung Sells Stakes in ASML, Seagate, Rambus and Sharp
Samsung Electronics announced on Sunday that it has sold stakes in Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding NV, Seagate Technology Plc, Rambus Inc. and Sharp Corp. The electronics company said that the sales aims to focus on its core businesses by making effective use of assets invested in the past and it has nothing to do with partnership with the companies.
The stakes sold by the Korean electronics giant are valued at about 1 trillion won ($888 million) in total. The company sold shares in ASML worth about 600 billion won and Seagate worth about 400 billion won.
The company sold about half of its stake, or 6.3 million shares, in ASML. It sold its entire 4.2 percent stake in Seagate and its entire 4.5 percent stake in Rambus.
The electronics company also sold its entire 0.7 percent stake in Sharp. The company invested in Sharp as part of its efforts to diversify supply lines of LCD panels in 2013.
The move comes as Samsung is dealing with a massive global smartphone recall that is estimated to cost more than $1 billion, so the company is moving swiftly to sell stakes in other technology companies to raise cash.
In recent years, Samsung has pushed to realign its focus on emerging businesses. In particular, the company established a vehicle components business division late last year to expand its presence in the lucrative and promising car infotainment market amid the rise of smart vehicles.