http://nypost.com/2015/02/12/ex-motorola-unit-freescale-semiconductor-in-sale-talks/

Freescale Semiconductor, the $11 billion tech company spun out of Motorola in 2004, is in sale talks, The Post has learned.

The company, whose shares have soared 75 percent in the last three months, recently hired investment bankers to explore a possible sale, according to a source close to the situation.

The Austin, Texas, company, which sells roughly half its chips to the automotive industry, is owned by private-equity titans Blackstone, Carlyle, TPG and Permira.

While the name of the prospective buyer could not be learned, CM Research Analyst Cyrus Memawalla recently told Bloomberg that Samsung Electronics should spend some of its $63 billion in cash on acquisitions, and one of the companies it might consider buying is Freescale.

On Jan. 27, the company reported strong results for the fourth quarter — with revenue up 11 percent and increased margins — as well as a forecast for the current quarter that exceeded Wall Street expectations.

Since then, Freescale shares have jumped 32 percent to Thursday’s close at $34.70.

Freescale and the private-equity firms could not be reached on deadline, or did not return calls.