HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. are in advanced talks to merge, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website, citing people familiar with the plan whom it did not identify.

The companies may announce a merger in the coming days and it would be followed by a three-way breakup of the combined company, the newspaper reported.

A deal has not yet been finalised and the talks could fall apart, the people said.

Dow Chemical's chief executive officer Andrew Liveris is expected to be executive chairman of the new company and DuPont's Edward Breen will remain CEO, according to the newspaper.

DuPont has a market capitalisation of about US$58 billion while Dow Chemical is valued at US$59 billion (S$81.7 billion), according to data compiled by Bloomberg.