Ljubljana, March 11 - The biggest shareholders of Slovenia's leading food retailer Mercator will only sell a total of 25 percent of the company rather than 48.34 percent announced earlier, daily Dnevnik said on Wednesday.
It said the owners informed seven bidders for the Mercator stake that only 25 percent of the company would be on sale.
Dnevnik also said Mercator expected to sell the stake at a price which was well above the market price and above prices offered by the bidders, but gave no details.
Mercator gave no immediate comment.
Mercator shares ended Tuesday trading at 148.4 euros, down 1 percent, while the blue-chip SBI 20 <.SBI> eased 0.9 percent.
Two owners, beverage producer Pivovarna Lasko and investment fund Infond Holding , opened a joint tender for their 48.34 percent in Mercator in December and set Feb. 2 as the deadline for non-binding bids.
In February they declined to reveal the number of bids or the names of the bidders. So far only Serbia's biggest food retailer Delta Holding said it submitted a bid.
Mercator is Slovenia's fourth-largest listed company with a market capitalisation of some 563.5 million euros.