Business: Dell to Deal?

-WSJ Dell is exploring a range of strategic alternatives that could transform the maker of PCs and data-storage devices. We report that among the options the company is expected to consider is an initial public offering, which would be one of the biggest in recent years and could provide a shot in the arm for the sluggish new-issue market. Dell is also considering buying the portion of publicly traded cloud infrastructure company VMware that it doesn’t already own. Talks between Dell and VMware, which has a market value above $50 billion, are at an early stage. A series of transactions has transformed the Round Rock, Texas, company in the past five years—and loaded it with debt that costs it roughly $2 billion a year in interest payments. Dell is among the companies expected to be hurt by the new U.S. tax law that limits their ability to deduct interest expense.