KKR To Cut Stake In Chip Tool Maker Kokusai Electric

Private equity firm KKR plans to cut its stake in Kokusai Electric, two people familiar with the matter said, cashing in after a blistering run for shares in the Japanese chip equipment maker, Sam Nussey reported for Reuters.

KKR, which holds around 43% of Kokusai's shares, plans to sell about half of its stake to investors. I Photo: KKR

KKR, which holds around 43% of Kokusai's shares, plans to sell about half of its stake to investors, one of the people said. Kokusai will buy back shares in the market, the person said.

A 20% stake in Kokusai is worth roughly $1.6 billion at Monday's closing price. Shares in the manufacturer of deposition equipment, which was spun out of Hitachi Kokusai Electric in 2018, have roughly tripled since an initial public offering in October.

Kokusai, which was originally part of Hitachi, has been a test case for private equity in Japan as conglomerates shed non-core assets and companies go private.

With chips seen as underpinning technological innovation, including the growth of artificial intelligence, Kokusai has been buoyed by demand for shares of chip equipment makers.