Toshiba considering capital strategy after flagging potential big losses

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp said on Tuesday the conglomerate was considering to steps to raise capital as it could not rule out that a huge charge to its U.S. nuclear business might wipe out its shareholders' equity.

"We are considering measures including some kind of capital strategy," CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa told a news conference, after Toshiba announced it may have to book several billion dollars in losses related to a U.S. nuclear power acquisition. He did not detail the measures under consideration.

Asked if Toshiba could fall into negative net worth as a result of the charge over the purchase by its Westinghouse unit, Chief Financial Officer Masayoshi Hirata said the company cannot yet estimate the amount of the charge.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Writing by William Mallard; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)