HTC Suspends Trading Amid Google Acquisition Rumors

HTC just suspended trading of its stocks in the Taiwan Stock Exchange, which is reportedly due to the matter of Google’s impending acquisition of the company. Neither company has yet to confirm if this is actually happening, but reports have been coming out, all the same. In fact, a leaked internal memo appears to suggest that HTC recently called for a meeting to discuss the arrangement.

The leaked memo was the subject of a Twitter post by Evan Blass, a noted leaker of information on mobile devices. In a series of Tweets, Blass revealed that the memo was about a Town Hall meeting at HTC, where employees will attend information with regards to the company’s well-being is provided.

“Someone sent me a copy of an internal invitation to an HTC employee Town Hall meeting tmrw (9/21). One alleged topic: Google acquisition,” the Tweet reads. “According to this person, the companies have finalized a deal wherein GOOG will acquire certain HW eng assets, but HTC retains its brand.”

As Forbes reports, there are a few aspects of this acquisition report that are worth noting. Google had previously bought Motorola Mobility back in 2011, before selling it in 2014. The deal was worth $12.5 billion but once it was sold, Google ended up settling for only $3 billion. At the time, many thought that the arrangement was more of a patent purchase than an outright acquisition of a mobile brand.

With regards to HTC’s situation, the company is in a bit of a bind, but it has been quite productive on the mobile front. Its devices have shown remarkable advancements in their features, and are actually made of high-quality materials. The biggest problem besieging the company right now is its miscalculation with regards to the VR market and the failure of the Vive to perform as well as hoped.