Faced with crushing financial pressures in the wake of its accounting scandal, Toshiba looks to now be ready "to sell its entire medical equipment unit rather than just a controlling stake," unnamed sources have revealed to Reuters.

The company had previously been talking about selling at least 51 percent of the unit.


The decision could help boost the cash from the deal well over the original $3.5 billion estimates — to as much a $4.4 billion or more. One source told the news service the price tag might even hit $5.7 billion.

As one poignant comment noted on the story appearing in Japan Today, "More family silver being sold. Whither Toshiba?"

HCB News reported previously that Toshiba advised that its losses in the wake of its accounting scandal would top earlier estimates, as restructuring costs mount. This, said the unnamed sources, has forced management to look to unload the entire Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.

A Research and Markets release noted that there is a rise in revenues across the medical equipment spectrum. The refurbished medical equipment market is anticipated to hit $9.37 billion by 2019, and it stated that, "factors, such as growing demand for low-cost medical devices due to financial constraints, increasing privatization in the health care sector, and rising adoption of refurbished medical devices in emerging countries, are driving the growth of the global market."

A second report advised that this market was predicted to grow at 13.8 percent over the next five years, to hit a value of $10.5 billion by 2020.

Small wonder, then, that the buyout biggies are circling Toshiba's medical jewel. Competitors for the second round, with bids due at the end of this week, include KKR & Co., Canon, Fujifilm Holdings and Konica Minolta.

KKR controls medical equipment maker Panasonic Healthcare Co., and is partnering with Mitsui & Co. Konica Minolta has partnered with Permira, sources have reported.

Some funds from the first round have now been eliminated, including the Carlyle Group and Bain Capital, a source told Reuters.

The overstatement-of-profits scandal has cost the Tokyo-based company dearly. It expects to lose over $6 billion over it, has seen its stock value plunge 65%, its Moody ratings cut to junk, and has been forced to lay off 6,800 workers, according to Reuters.

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