Dell near deal to swap out DVMT tracking shares - WSJ

Reuters
A Dell logo is seen in this illustration picture taken in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 12, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Files

(Reuters) - Dell Inc is close to a deal to combine shares that track its VMware Inc virtualization-software unit in an effort that would result in a public listing for the personal computer and data storage company, the Wall Street Journal said on Sunday.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said Dell has been conducting a strategic review for months and plans to announce the deal as early as Monday.

Details on the acquisition of the DVMT tracking stock, which could still fall through, could not be learned, the WSJ said.

Other options Dell considered included a combination with VMware or an initial public offering, it said.

DVMT has a market capitalization of $17 billion, while that of VMware is about $60 billion after their stock prices increased this year on the possibility of a deal, according to the paper.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Paul Simao)