Volvo recently made it known to investment banks that all or part of its profitable Penta marine and industrial engine unit would be up for sale at the right price, Reuters reported. Analysts said Volvo probably would require a high offer for Penta, one of its smaller but more profitable units, and would sell only if it needed the cash to fund a tempting acquisition in its core business in trucks, buses and industrial equipment. "It comes as a surprise to me. They normally argue that it has a lot of synergies, not least with the truck area when it comes to engine knowledge," Danske Securites analyst Mikael Sens said. But Penta's strong recent financial performance could justify an expensive price tag, he noted, and that cash would be useful if Volvo had a large acquisition in the pipeline.