Lee's death sparks hope for Samsung shake-up, dividends

Shares in Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and affiliates rose on Monday after the death a day earlier of Chairman Lee Kun-hee sparked hopes for stake sales, higher dividends and long-awaited restructuring, analysts said.

Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee (C) arrives at a main office of the Federation of Korean Industries, the country' biggest business lobby group, to meet President-elect Lee Myung-bak with other businessmen in Seoul December 28, 2007. [Reuters]

Investors are betting that the imperatives of maintaining Lee family control and paying inheritance tax - estimated at about 10 trillion won (USD8.9 billion) for listed stockholdings alone - will be the catalyst for change, although analysts are divided on what form that change will take.