By Takaya Yamaguchi and Makiko Yamazaki

TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares of Toshiba Corp rose 7% on Thursday following a report of a possible $19 billion bid led by Japan that would result in the takeover of international activist traders after years of rigidity.

A consortium led by personal fairness agency Japan Industrial Companions has been granted most well-liked standing in a second tender, two sources aware of the matter advised Reuters.

Japan Industrial Companions has contacted a number of Japanese corporations, sources mentioned, a couple of potential bid for Toshiba (OTC:) which Kyodo information company mentioned could possibly be price 2.8 trillion yen, a premium of 26 % over Wednesday’s closing worth.

Amongst these, Orix (NYSE:) Corp plans to affix the consortium, whereas Chubu Electrical Energy Co can be contemplating becoming a member of, one other supply aware of the matter mentioned.

Japan Industrial Companions declined to remark. A spokesperson for Orix mentioned it was in talks with Japan Industrial Companions, whereas Chubu Electrical declined to remark.

Shares of Toshiba, which declined to touch upon the Kyodo report, closed up 7.4%, marking their greatest one-day acquire in additional than a yr. They’ve elevated by about 17% this yr.

“It appears folks have purchased into the concept that there might be no extra dangerous information,” mentioned Mitsushige Akino, chief fund supervisor at Ichiyoshi Asset Administration.

Bloomberg Information reported that Baring Non-public Fairness Asia and CVC Capital Companions are additionally contemplating becoming a member of the consortium. Baring and CVC declined to remark.

Japan Industrial Companions has beforehand been concerned in company spin-offs and spin-offs from Japanese conglomerates. He purchased the digital camera enterprise from Olympus Corp final yr and sony (NYSE:) Group laptop computer enterprise in 2014.

Toshiba, as soon as a widely known conglomerate, has been tormented by accounting and governance scandals.

Turnaround makes an attempt have been overshadowed in recent times by divisiveness between administration and Toshiba’s many shareholder activists over the corporate’s path, with a number of massive international funds pushing it to think about personal fairness offers.

Tensions got here to a head final yr when a shareholder-commissioned investigation concluded that administration had colluded with Japan’s Ministry of Commerce, which considers Toshiba’s nuclear and protection expertise a strategic asset, to forestall international traders to achieve affect at its 2020 shareholders’ assembly.

“The one option to do away with activists is to purchase them out,” mentioned Travis Lundy, an analyst at Quiddity Advisors who posts on the Smartkarma platform.

It was not instantly clear what number of bids Toshiba was critically contemplating, however Lundy mentioned the competitors was possible an open race between Japan Industrial Companions and the state-backed Japan Funding Corp.

The pair beforehand joined forces to bid on Toshiba however have since parted methods because of disagreements over the proposal, sources mentioned.

The Japan Industrial Companions-led consortium will present about 1 trillion yen in fairness, with the remainder possible coming from financial institution loans, Kyodo mentioned, including that financing talks have been ongoing and the worth of the providing may change.

One of many sources advised Reuters the consortium had but to spell out particulars, together with valuation and funding.

Japan Funding Corp is in talks with personal fairness agency Bain Capital, one among a number of abroad funds to have handed the primary spherical of tenders, one of many sources mentioned. Bain declined to remark.

MBK Companions can be in talks with the state-backed fund, one other supply mentioned.

($1 = 146.8300 yen)