Sony shares up on rumours of buyout talks with Apple

Shares of Sony Corp rose nearly 3 per cent at one stage on Tuesday as traders cited media reports speculating that the Japanese electronics maker could be a potential acquisition target of Apple Inc.

Shares of Sony Corp rose nearly 3 per cent at one stage on Tuesday as traders cited media reports speculating that the Japanese electronics maker could be a potential acquisition target of Apple Inc.

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Helping to spark the speculation was a Saturday report in Barron's that said cash-rich Apple could be contemplating a big acquisition and noted speculation about Adobe, Sony and Disney as potential targets.

Sony spokeswoman Sue Tanaka said: "We cannot comment on rumours or speculation."

During an October 18 conference call with investors and reporters following Apple's latest earnings announcement, CEO Steve Jobs was asked what the company would do with its $51 billion in cash. "We would like to continue to keep our powder dry, because we do feel that there are one or more strategic opportunities in the future," Jobs said.

Some analysts were sceptical about the feasibility of a buy-out. "If Apple tries to buy the whole of Sony, it will be a hostile takeover, and that will probably not succeed in Japan," said one analyst in Tokyo, who declined to be named. "I don't think Sony would want to join hands with Apple since it is working with Google to compete against Apple."