carlyle, kyocera set to seal ddi pocket deal-paper Carlyle,...

carlyle, kyocera set to seal ddi pocket deal-paper Carlyle, Kyocera set to seal DDI Pocket deal-paper
June 15, 2004 7:38pm ET (Reuters)

TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. buyout firm Carlyle Group and Japan's Kyocera Corp could reach a final agreement to take a combined 90 percent stake in wireless operator DDI Pocket, now majority-owned by KDDI Corp , as early as this week, a Japanese business daily said on Wednesday.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that an official announcement could come sometime after next week.

Officials at KDDI and Kyocera said no final agreement has yet been reached. No comment from Carlyle was immediately available.

Kyocera President Yasuo Nishiguchi said last month that the Japanese electronics parts and cellphone maker is likely to raise its stake in DDI Pocket to 30 percent from 13.3 percent, while Carlyle is aiming to take a 60 percent stake.

A source close to the matter has put the potential deal's value at some $2.1 billion.