Toshiba goes nuclear

摘要

When Toshiba agreed last month to pay US$5.4 billion for Westing-house Electric, the Japanese manufacturer placed a hefty bet that nuclear power is on the verge of a global comeback. Toshiba paid British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) more than five times as much as BNFL paid when it bought the Pittsburgh-based company in 1999. The high price surprised the markets, and Toshiba's shares dipped by about 3% on news of the acquisition. Some analysts questioned whether the Japanese electronics giant needs the hassle of controlling the world's largest supplier of nuclear power stations.