Shares in chipmaker Infineon rose more than 7 per cent today as speculation mounted that Samsung Electronics and Intel could be interested in the German technology firm.
"The rumour is that they (Samsung and Intel) would bid more than 10 euros (a share)," one trader said.
Other traders in London and Paris also heard the rumour. Infineon declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for Samsung Electronics had no comment on the rumour. Infineon shares were up 3.8 per cent at €6.56, while Germany's DAX index was down 0.8 per cent.