Software maker Nuance Communications Inc has held talks with potential buyers for its sale, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
The company, whose software powers the Siri feature on Apple Inc’s iPhones, recently spoke to Samsung Electronics Co and some private equity firms for a possible deal, the Journal said.<\/p>\n
Shares of Nuance, which has been struggling to hold on to its pricing in the handsets business, rose as much as 11 percent to $19.04 on Monday on the Nasdaq.<\/p>\n
Carl Icahn reported a 15.9 percent increase in his stake in the company to 60.8 million shares for the quarter ended Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
The activist investor, Nuance’s largest shareholder, held about 19.08 percent stake in the company as of March 31, 2014.<\/p>\n
The company’s current market capitalization is about $5.45 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t clear where the talks, some of which happened earlier this year, currently stand and whether they would result in a deal, the Journal said.<\/p>\n
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