Nissan Motor Co.’s shares climbed after a report said Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. was making another pass at the flailing carmaker as its tie-up with Honda Motor Co. falls apart.

According to the report, Foxconn had expressed interest in acquiring Nissan in December, despite the then-active merger talks with Honda. Nissan had reportedly rejected the bid, but it seems that the company is still considering a collaboration with the iPhone maker.

Nissan and Honda, both major automakers based in Japan, responded Wednesday to reports that a potential merger of the two companies could beat risk of being abandoned.