美或阻止飛利浦將照明業務賣給中資財團
Philips’ $2.9bn deal to offload its lighting components business was thrown into doubt on Monday after US regulators expressed “unforeseen concerns” over the sale to a consortium of Chinese private equity investors.
週一，飛利浦(Philips)以29億美元出售其照明元件業務的交易突然變得前景難測，原因是美國監管機構對這筆交易表達了“意料之外的擔憂”。這筆交易的買方是由多箇中國私募股權投資者組成的財團。
The Amsterdam-based group said the sale of an 80 per cent stake in Lumileds, which makes car components and LEDs, was now “uncertain” after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US highlighted worries over the deal.
這家總部位於荷蘭阿姆斯特丹的集團表示，在美國外國投資委員會(CFIUS)強調了對這筆交易的擔憂之後，其出售在Lumileds公司所持80%股份的交易目前“存在變數”。
CFIUS, which vets sensitive acquisitions of US assets by foreign companies for national security concerns, typically focuses on attempts by Chinese companies looking to buy into high-tech industries.
CFIUS會出於國家安全考慮審查外國企業對美國資產的敏感收購。該機構往往會緊盯尋求購入高科技行業資產的中國企業發起的收購。
In March, Philips sold an 80.1 per cent stake to a consortium led by GO Scale Capital, an investment fund for GSR Ventures and Oak Investment Partners. Other members are venture capital funds Asia Pacific Resource Development and Nanchang Industrial Group.
今年3月，飛利浦將旗下Lumileds公司80.1%的股份出售給一個由GO Scale Capital牽頭的財團。GO Scale Capital是金沙江創業投資(GSR Ventures)和橡樹投資夥伴(Oak Investment Partners)發起的投資基金。該財團其他成員包括風投基金亞太資源開發(Asia Pacific Resource Development)和南昌工業集團(Nanchang Industrial Group)。
Frans van Houten, chief executive of Philips, said he was confused why the regulator had intervened in the sale of a company that made lightbulbs. “We make simple LEDs for lamps,” said Mr van Houten. “I do not see the excitement, but that is not up to me.”
飛利浦首席執行官範豪頓(Frans van Houten)表示，他搞不懂這家美國監管機構爲何會干涉一家燈泡公司的出售。範豪頓表示：“我們只是爲電燈生產簡單的發光二極管(LED)。我不明白這有什麼敏感的，不過這事不取決於我。”
Concerns over the deal surfaced as Philips swung back to a profit for the three months to the end of September, posting net income of 324m after defeat in a patent battle dragged the company into a 103m loss last year.
在這筆交易引發擔憂之際，飛利浦在截至9月底的3個月裏重新實現盈利，錄得3.24億歐元淨利潤。此前，一場專利戰的失敗曾導致該公司在去年錄得1.03億歐元虧損。
Philips is in the process of spinning off the rest of its lighting business, marking an end to its 124-year link with the lighting industry, as it focuses on its more profitable healthcare and consumer divisions.
飛利浦正在剝離其照明業務的剩餘部分，爲其與照明產業124年的聯繫畫上句號。該集團的注意力目前集中在其盈利更高的醫療保健和消費者業務上。
Mr van Houten said the company would make a decision on whether to sell the division or list it in an initial public offering by the start of 2016 at the latest, with the aim of completing the deal by that summer.
範豪頓表示，飛利浦最遲會在不晚於明年初的時候決定是出售照明業務還是讓這塊業務上市，以便在明年夏天結束前完成交易。
