Acer builds big war-chest

ACER, LONG-TIME provider of computer periphery, is cashing in big-time with the sale of property and shares, raising a large pot of cash that it is going to start playing with.

DigiTimes reports that the firm has raised $640m US through the sale of holdings in companies including TSMC, Foxconn and Wistron. Combined with some real estate sales, this means that Acer now has a big jar of wonga with which to snap up some new investments.

Rumours are still rife that Shuttle is the first acquisition target, and neither firm has done anything to deny that. We're pretty sure that Acer could still have some spare change left over after snapping up the SFF maker, so the question is - who is next?

The move marks an aggressive new stance from Acer - releasing long-term, safe holdings and starting on a risky acquisition spree that could make or break the company's five-year strategy. If the firm makes bad decisions, it's an awful large amount of dollar to be throwing down the Taiwanese drains. µ