Advanced Semi May Get Buyout Bid

Updated from 10:31 a.m. EST

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering(ASX Quote) shares soared Friday after the Taiwan-based chip company said it received an "indication of interest" from a group of investors led by the Carlyle Group.

The potential offer would be worth $5.94 per American depositary share, or nearly $5.5 billion. The price would represent a premium of 13% over Wednesday's closing price of $5.26.

Advanced Semiconductor's chairman, Jason Chang, has agreed to participate as a member of the consortium and to roll the shares of ASE owned by him and his ASE Enterprises holding company into an equity interest in the holding company created by the consortium.

Chang and his affiliated holding company own about 18.4% of the shares.

Advanced Semiconductor's American depositary shares closed up 80 cents, or 15.2%, to $6.06.

The Advanced Semi bid also seemed to propel shares of Taiwanese chipmaker United Microelectronics(UMC Quote), which closed up nearly 8% on heavy volume to $3.46.