Almere-based ASMI has an approximately 25 percent stake in ASMPT. Activist shareholders have pressured the company to sell its shares in the past. According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, there has been interest in an acquisition before, including from other investment companies and industry peers in Asia.
ASMPT is a leading global supplier of semiconductor manufacturing technology and equipment. These chips are used, among other things, in smartphones and cars. Shares of the company, listed in Hong Kong, have risen 23 percent this year. As a result, ASMPT has a market value of approximately $4.9 billion.
