The BlackBerry Q5, the latest smartphone running the smartphone company's new operating system, went on sale in Canada on Tuesday amid speculation about the company's future and a further bump in its share price.
BlackBerry (
TSX: T.BB,
Stock Forum) shares were up 10% at $12.21 on the Toronto Stock Exchange in late morning trade, and had been even higher earlier in the session.
The gain followed an announcement by the company that it was exploring ``strategic alternatives'' on Monday.
CIBC analyst Todd Coupland suggested BlackBerry could be worth as much as $20 per share in a takeover scenario.
He said likely buyers may be another mobile company such as Apple or Samsung, one looking to increase or grow in the smartphone market such as Amazon, Dell or HP, or a company looking at BBM as a social media tool, such as Facebook.
``Another real option would be an attempt to take Blackberry private,'' Coupland wrote.
``(Fairfax Financial chief executive) Prem Watsa who holds approximately 11 per cent of BlackBerry could very well be seriously considering joining a bid to take BlackBerry private. Private equity firms that could be involved include Silver Lake Partners and CPPIB, and there are very likely others.''
Watsa resigned from the BlackBerry board on Monday due to potential conflicts of interest, suggesting the firm may be interested.
Watsa joined the board in early 2012 as part of attempts to revitalize BlackBerry as its previous long-time co-CEOs stepped aside and installed Thorsten Heins as chief executive.