Deals
China’s MLS Said to Be Lead Bidder for Osram Lighting Business
- Osram said to plan to choose a winner as soon as this month
- Sale will help German firm focus on auto, building lighting
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Chinese lighting company MLS Co. is the frontrunner to buy Osram Licht AG’s light bulb and LED-lamp business, as the German company moves closer to finding a buyer more than a year after announcing plans to separate the division, according to people familiar with the matter.
Osram may choose a winner for the asset as soon as this month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because talks are private. MLS is attempting to buy Osram’s asset as part of a consortium, and is in negotiations about topics including the structure of the deal and the company’s intellectual property, said one of the people. The Chinese firm may pay less than 500 million euros ($558 million) for the investment, another person said.