Intel Corp. INTC, -0.85% is in close talks to buy smaller chip maker Altera Corp. ALTR, +3.12% for about $15 billion, the New York Post reported late Thursday. Citing a source close to the negotiations, the newspaper said Intel could pay as much as $54 a share for Altera, marking a 15% premium over Altera's Thursday closing price of $46.97. In April, Altera rejected a $54-a-share bid from Intel, but that was before Altera reported disappointing earnings. If the deal goes through this time, it'll mark the largest acquisition ever for Intel, according to the New York Post. Shares of Altera were up 9.6% in thin premarket volume on Friday.