European vendor Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is considering selling a US$1bn stake to private equity, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
The proceeds would be used to help finance NSN’s US$1.2bn acquisition, announced…
European vendor Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is considering selling a US$1bn stake to private equity, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
The proceeds would be used to help finance NSN’s US$1.2bn acquisition, announced last month, of US rival Motorola’s network equipment unit. NSN is also reportedly hoping that a PE investor would be able to provide advice on how best to integrate the new business.
Blackstone, TPG, Silver Lake Partners, KKR and Bain Capital are among the private equity firms reportedly engaged in these discussions. Any negotiations, which were described as being in “early days” were likely to conclude with a consortium of PE players making such an investment.
Analysts cited by the Financial Times suggested that a sale to PE could foreshadow an eventual IPO of the group. When they merged their vendor units, Finland’s Nokia and Germany’s Siemens agreed to maintain their JV until 2013.
Spokespeople at NSN were unavailable for comment by press time.
NSN was most recently advised by Barclays Capital when it acquired the Motorola business. Motorola was itself advised by Centerview Partners, JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.
