April 24, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Japanese tech giant Toshiba’s efforts to sell its memory business will eventually benefit South Korean firms, a report said on May 24.

“As Toshiba will be put off in making investments in the 3-D NAND flash sector, there will be a shortage in supply that can become more serious,” said Choi Do-yeon, a researcher at Shinhan Investment. “This will lead to expanded investment opportunities for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.”

Toshiba has put its stake in its memory operations up for sale as it struggles with losses from its nuclear power business in the US.

While major global players, including SK hynix, joined the race to buy Toshiba‘s memory sector, US-based Western Digital earlier filed a request for an arbitration to an international court, demanding exclusive negotiation rights, a move that may delay the sale.

Shinhan Investment said such a delay will also benefit Korean companies even further.

“Samsung Electronics, which leads the 3-D NAND flash technology, will become the biggest beneficiary,” Choi said. “SK hynix will also benefit from the improved conditions of the NAND industry.”

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)