to acquire British fire-and-security products company Williams PLC appears to be in jeopardy because of a price dispute that has stalled the talks.

The deal, valued at about $6 billion, could be called off, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

Williams executives have been seeking at least $7.93 a share, equivalent to about a 28 percent premium to its closing price on June 4, when the latest round of talks was disclosed.

But senior Tyco executives are concerned that an acquisition at that price would not meet their financial goals, including a requirement that any deal should immediately add to Tyco's per-share earnings. This is the second time that both companies have tried to reach an agreement. Last November, they broke off talks after several rounds failed to bridge differences over an acquisition price.

In the most recent round of talks among senior executives over the last few days, "there were significant issues'' still unresolved, including price and various contractual matters, the Journal said. It cited a person close to the situation.

A spokesman for Williams, based in Derby, England, didn't immediately return calls seeking comment. Williams had 1998 revenue of about $3.9 billion.

Tyco, a conglomerate with holdings in disposable medical products, electrical components and other fields, has been looking at Williams for its security-alarm and fire-protection businesses.

Tyco, based in Bermuda but managed from Exeter, New Hampshire, already is the world leader in commercial fire-protection systems, and has a substantial presence in security-alarm services through its ADT unit. Its overall fire and security unit had fiscal 1998 revenue of about $4.7 billion.