UPDATE 1-Palm takeover expected this week - report
(Adds Nokia)
NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - Palm Inc. (PALM.O) could be sold for at least $20 per share this week, and private equity firm Texas Pacific Group and at least three other bidders are interested, according to unnamed sources cited by technology news Web site Unstrung.com.
Texas Pacific declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Sunnyvale, California-based Palm, which makes the Treo smartphone, was not immediately available.
Sources have previously told Reuters that Palm hired Morgan Stanley to pursue a buyer.
Other bidders may include Nokia (NOK1V.HE) or Motorola Inc. (MOT.N), the site said. It also said there was speculation that private equity firm Silver Lake was interested in Palm.
"We are not commenting on rumors," said Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen.
A spokesman for Silver Lake was not immediately available for comment. Motorola was also not immediately available.
The site said that Morgan Stanley wanted to wrap up a deal by Thursday. Palm shares were up nearly 5 percent at $19.02 in premarket trading after closing on Monday at $18.14 on Nasdaq.
((Reporting by Caroline Humer and Tarmo Virki, editing by Lisa Von Ahn; caroline.humer@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: caroline.humer.reuters.com@reuters.net; 1 646 223 6181))
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