Hitachi mulls comeback for struggling hard-disk unit

Alps decided to exit the market when orders dwindled from customer Maxtor following its acquisition by Seagate last year.

Shares of Hitachi closed on Wednesday down 0.3 percent at 701 yen, having lost one-fifth of their value in the past six months, underperforming a 6 percent decline in Tokyo's electric machinery index. (Additional reporting by Taro Fuse, Emi Emoto, Mayumi Negishi, Nathan Layne)