Asian Tech Press (SEP 03) -- Kioxia Holdings Corp, the world's second-largest flash memory chip maker, formerly known as Toshiba Memory, is scheduling an initial public offering (IPO) for November this year. And just last week, there were rumors that Western Digital, a leading global hard drive maker, was in advanced talks to acquire Kioxia.

Media reports say Kioxia now plans to go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in November this year, delayed from its original plan of a September IPO. The adjustment is due to the company's optimism that the Japanese stock market is expected to rise after the House of Representatives election and the new cabinet takes office this fall.

Kioxia has prioritized its IPO plan over the possibility of a stock merger with Western Digital, which would be difficult to achieve due to regulatory antitrust pressure and domestic caution over the outflow of semiconductor manufacturers.