Gateway says it is not in negotiations with Acer

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. GTW.N, the third-largest U.S. personal computer maker, said on Tuesday it is not in negotiations with Acer Inc. (2353.TW) over a potential acquisition by the Taiwanese PC company.

Gateway said in a statement it remains "focused on the business at hand." The company said it made the statement after its stock rose 6.7 percent on Monday, following an analyst's report that Acer may be interested in acquiring Gateway.

The report by ThinkEquity Partners cited unnamed "industry sources" as the basis for the conclusion. Acer declined to comment. On Tuesday, Gateway stock shed 2 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close at $2.38 on the New York Stock Exchange.