Sources say Western Digital-KioXia merger talks are expected to start again in late April

According to the Japanese media "Asahi Shimbun", merger negotiations between Western Digital and Kioxia, two important companies in the NAND flash memory field, are expected to start again at the end of April.

According to past reports on this website, Western Digital has been negotiating a merger with Kioxia since 2021. However, it is reported that the latest round of merger negotiations between the two parties ended in failure due to the obstruction of SK Hynix, which holds shares in Kioxia. Later, Western Digital announced plans to spin off its flash memory business and plans to complete the move in the second half of this year.

Referring to a survey report by industry analyst firm TrendForce, in the third quarter of 2023, Western Digital's NAND flash memory market share reached 16.9%, while Kioxia's was 14.5%. The total of both parties was as high as 31.4%. It is comparable to industry leader Samsung Electronics and higher than the 20.2% combined by SK Hynix and its subsidiary Solidigm.

▲ Source: TrendForce TrendForce

According to a person familiar with the matter, Western Digital announced its partnership with Kioxia at the end of October last year merger talks have been terminated. To avoid accusations of insider trading, Western Digital decided to allow a gap of about half a year. It is reported that once this interval is over, the two sides will restart negotiations in April.

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