UPDATE 1-Matsushita says time to review ties with JVC

(Reuters) - "Senior executives from both companies are studying ways to
improve corporate value," Fumio Ohtsubo told an annual
shareholders' meeting, adding that Matsushita would make public
its plans for JVC when an official decision has been made.




Sources told Reuters on Saturday that JVC will likely merge
audio equipment maker Kenwood Corp. under a joint
holding company as early as 2008. Matsushita, which holds 52.4
percent of JVC, is expected to sell its shares to the holding
company.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Toyota, Matsushita in cross-shareholdings -paper

(Reuters) - Matsushita, which had a 0.57 percent stake in Toyota in the
year ended in March 2006, has raised that holding by investing
tens of billions of yen, it said, without specifying the size of
the new stake.




The two firms together own Panasonic EV Energy Co., a maker
of batteries for Toyota's hybrid vehicles.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Citigroup offers biggest ever Samurai bond issue

(Reuters) - Combined with the latest Samurai issuance, the total amount
of Citigroup's yen-denominated bonds is expected to be 400
billion yen and the biggest yen-denominated issue, topping
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.'s 300 billion
yen issue in 2002, the Nikkei business daily said on Thursday.




The Samurai bonds consist of 30 billion yen in three-year
fixed-rate bonds with a 1.51 percent coupon, 35 billion yen in
five-year bonds with a 1.86 percent coupon, 80 billion yen in
seven-year bonds with a 2.13 percent coupon, 65 billion yen in
10-year bonds with a 2.38 percent coupon, 30 billion yen in
three-year floating-rate bonds and 30 billion yen in five-year
floating-rate bonds, Nikko Citigroup said.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Matsushita in talks with Kenwood on JVC stake-sources

(Reuters) - Kenwood, a maker of audio equipment and car electronics, is
in talks to buy 20 billion yen worth of new
shares from JVC and then merge operations with JVC under a
joint holding company, said several sources.




Matsushita would then sell part of its 52.4 percent stake
in JVC to the holding company. Matsushita is aiming to get
loss-making JVC off its consolidated accounts, but would likely
hold on to some of its shares, the sources said.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News