Autoliv on the Hunt for High-Tech Acquisitions

Sweden's safety equipment supplier Autoliv Inc. is looking for acquisitions among makers of advanced auto safety technology, Reuters reports.

CEO Jan Carlson tells the news service that Autoliv is especially interested in suppliers of accident-avoidance technology as sensors, radar and electronic stability control and chassis systems. But such companies are reluctant to sell because they believe their operations have strong growth potential, he adds.

Autoliv, which ended 2012 with €978 million ($1.3 billion) in cash, has funds for deal making, Reuters notes. But Carlson says that in the face of investor pressure, the company's board is likely to use some of that money to pay a bigger dividend.