Hanwha Group said Thursday that it could make a bid to buy Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and also expressed interest in Hynix Semiconductor, lifting shares of Daewoo and Hynix.
Hanwha, a conglomerate with interests in the chemical, energy, machinery, brokerage and insurance sectors, joins a list of potential bidders for a $4.4 billion stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding, which state-run banks have put up for auction.
Hanwha has studied a number of acquisition targets and is concentrating on Daewoo Shipbuilding for now, said a Hanwha spokesman, Ju Cheol Beom.
"Our focus on Daewoo does not rule out interest in other firms, such as Hynix," Ju said, clarifying a news report that said Hanwha was planning to bid for Hynix.
Hanwha's interest in Hynix raised hopes that the long-awaited sale of a $4.8 billion stake would start soon.
Hanwha is one of several South Korean business groups seeking to expand and diversify their investment portfolios.
C.W. Chung, an analyst at Lehman Brothers, said in a note to investors that Lehman was "uncertain if Hanwha Group will be able to generate any obvious synergies by acquiring Hynix, but we understand that Hanwha Group is seeking new growth engines."
A host of domestic companies, including the steel maker Posco, the conglomerate GS Group and the country's state pension fund, have expressed interest in Daewoo Shipbuilding, which is expected to have strong earnings from orders.
The memory chip industry has suffered a prolonged slump because of oversupply and slower demand for personal computers, but Hynix and Samsung Electronics have said they expect stronger demand.
Domestic financial companies, led by Korea Exchange Bank, own a combined 36 percent stake in Hynix after converting debt owed by the chip maker into equity during a cash crisis at Hynix.
Credit Suisse has been selected to advise on the sale of the stake, and Hanwha is the first prominent potential bidder to emerge.
LG Group, which media and industry experts had speculated was a potential buyer, has repeatedly denied any interest.
Hanwha, which started as a maker of explosives in the 1950s, has in recent years also expanded into distribution and leisure businesses. But it has been less aggressive in mergers and acquisitions than rivals like Kumho Asiana Group, which bought Daewoo Engineering & Construction in 2006 and Korea Express this year.
Hanwha, a conglomerate with interests in the chemical, energy, machinery, brokerage and insurance sectors, joins a list of potential bidders for a $4.4 billion stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding, which state-run banks have put up for auction.
Hanwha has studied a number of acquisition targets and is concentrating on Daewoo Shipbuilding for now, said a Hanwha spokesman, Ju Cheol Beom.
"Our focus on Daewoo does not rule out interest in other firms, such as Hynix," Ju said, clarifying a news report that said Hanwha was planning to bid for Hynix.
Hanwha's interest in Hynix raised hopes that the long-awaited sale of a $4.8 billion stake would start soon.
Hanwha is one of several South Korean business groups seeking to expand and diversify their investment portfolios.
C.W. Chung, an analyst at Lehman Brothers, said in a note to investors that Lehman was "uncertain if Hanwha Group will be able to generate any obvious synergies by acquiring Hynix, but we understand that Hanwha Group is seeking new growth engines."
A host of domestic companies, including the steel maker Posco, the conglomerate GS Group and the country's state pension fund, have expressed interest in Daewoo Shipbuilding, which is expected to have strong earnings from orders.
The memory chip industry has suffered a prolonged slump because of oversupply and slower demand for personal computers, but Hynix and Samsung Electronics have said they expect stronger demand.
Domestic financial companies, led by Korea Exchange Bank, own a combined 36 percent stake in Hynix after converting debt owed by the chip maker into equity during a cash crisis at Hynix.
Credit Suisse has been selected to advise on the sale of the stake, and Hanwha is the first prominent potential bidder to emerge.
LG Group, which media and industry experts had speculated was a potential buyer, has repeatedly denied any interest.
Hanwha, which started as a maker of explosives in the 1950s, has in recent years also expanded into distribution and leisure businesses. But it has been less aggressive in mergers and acquisitions than rivals like Kumho Asiana Group, which bought Daewoo Engineering & Construction in 2006 and Korea Express this year.