Kodak & Possible Buyers?

Monday 4:21 PM Kodak (EK +2.6%) continues to burn cash and is on course to run out of domestic cash in Q2 or Q3 next year, Moody’s analyst Rick Lane warns. Kodak’s operations consume significant cash in the first half of every year, he says, and its patent complaint against Apple (AAPL) and RIMM won’t be heard until Dec. 30, with a final decision delayed until well in 2012. Comment! [Tech]

If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have probably said "RICOH". Not so sure now, but they IKON/RBS do have a working relationship allowing them to sell the NexPress. I do think KM would be a good choice.

I would think that it makes the best sense to break the company into pieces and sell individual divisions. The print production division (Nexpress, etc..) would be enticing for Xerox, Ricoh, KM or even Canon. I think Ricoh is not in a position to buy. I think KM would make sense, but I think Canon would be a very strong player. They used to relable the Digimasters (not sure if they still do) and the Nexpress would fill the whole abover thier current color production gear.

I wonder if Canon's partnership with HP would prevent them from being able to make a run at Kodak.

I know for a fact that kodak is out of photography so those patents are as good as gone.

I think the old plan was to restructure and become a printing company, which is ironic considering all the print guys are trying to diversify out of print fast.

It could be that if they get in any worse shape Kodak will sell its printing businesses too.

quote:

It could be that if they get in any worse shape Kodak will sell its printing businesses too.

Gintel:

If you were a betting, what odds would you give that they would sell in near future? let's say 90 days.

Art

Legg Mason’s Bill Miller has been a long-time owner and defender of Eastman Kodak. Now, even he’s abandoning ship.

As Deal Journal colleague Dana Mattioli is reporting, Legg Mason Capital Management sold all of its Kodak stock. She reports:

“Legg Mason sold some 11 million shares in the Rochester, N.Y.-based imaging company in the third quarter and the remaining 7.9 million shares last month. Earlier this year, it owned 32 million shares.”

As of the end of June, Mr. Miller’s Legg Mason Capital Management was the top institutional holder of Eastman Kodak, and it was Mr. Miller’s fourth-largest holding as of the end of June.

Miller has been dumping Kodak stock, but not fast enough to get out from under the company’s crumbling stock price. Shares of Kodak ended Thursday at $1.14 each. Miller started building a big position in the company in the second quarter of 2000, when the stock fell from nearly $60 a share to about $41.

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/201...sing-money-on-kodak/

Ricoh in no position to buy.

quote:

Ricoh in no position to buy.

agreed but neither is Canon or Xerox also