Hon Hai chair says still wants to invest in Sharp: report

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co is still interested in investing in Japan's Sharp Corp despite the collapse of an equity deal two years ago and would take a stake "tomorrow" at current market prices, Terry Guo, chairman of the Taiwan-based company, told a Japanese magazine.

Sharp, Japan's biggest display maker which was bailed out by its banks after a cash crunch, agreed two years ago to consider selling Hon Hai a 9.9 percent stake but that deal fell through and Sharp found other equity partners.

"If Sharp says it still wants my help, I would make an investment," Gou was quoted as telling business weekly Toyo Keizai. "I still want to invest in Sharp. If it agrees to market prices, I would invest tomorrow."

Sharp, which has also sold 38 percent of a cutting edge display plant in western Japan to Gou, is still working to shore up its fortunes and media reports have said it may sell shares to raise funds and bolster its equity ratio.

But industry executives and analysts have said they doubt it would reconsider a deal with Hon Hai after making deals with other companies.

Sharp and Hon Hai signed a high-profile agreement in March 2012 to form a capital and strategic partnership under which Hon Hai would consider taking a 9.9 percent stake in Sharp for 550 yen ($5.39) a share. Those talks eventually collapsed after Sharp's share price plunged as it faced larger-than-expected losses.

Gou said he still occasionally meets with current Sharp President Kozo Takahashi as a personal investor in Sharp's LCD plant but also because he wants to tie up with Sharp itself.