Apple holding up Toshiba memory sale - reports

Apple reportedly stalling on terms as beaten bidder KKR tries to tempt vendor to switch sides

Apple is holding up the sale of Toshiba's memory chip business after so far failing to agree terms, according to reports.

An agreement worth over £13bn for Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC) was announced last week, with the winning bidder a consortium led by Bain Capital and including Apple and Dell.

A conclusion to the six-month saga looked set to be in sight, but reports have now emerged that Apple has not yet agreed terms to complete the deal.

News agencies Reuters and Bloomberg have reported that Toshiba told its main banks that Apple was stalling on the deal.

Simultaneously, Bloomberg reported that failed bidder KKR is now trying to tempt Apple to switch sides.

Apple had previously opposed KKR's bid because its consortium included Western Digital, which is a joint investor in TMC's flash memory facility.

Apple, which is the biggest consumer of the memory chips, feared that Western Digital's involvement would consolidate the market too much and lead to less competitive pricing, Bloomberg said.

Western Digital has since pulled out of the consortium and is seeking to block Bain Capital's bid.

The Bloomberg article said: "If KKR is able to persuade Apple to switch sides at the last minute, it could upset a deal that had looked like it would end months of twists and turns in finding a buyer for Toshiba's prized asset.

"The Japanese company needs cash to shore up a balance sheet destroyed by a failed foray into the nuclear power equipment industry and is facing a deadline in March to complete a deal or be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange."