** Shares of electronic equipment & parts maker Cepton
CPTN.O jump 20.9% to $3.04 premarket
** Koito Manufacturing 7276.T to buy CPTN's shares it
doesn't already own at $3.17/shr in all-cash deal
** Deal represents a 25.3% premium of CPTN's Friday closing
price
** Transaction expected to close in the first quarter of
2025, following which CPTN to operate as privately held,
indirect subsidiary of Koito
** CPTN down 19.4% YTD as of last close
(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru)
((Pranav.Kashyap@thomsonreuters.com;))