Reuters: Sberbank can buy Rambler Group

Sberbank is negotiating the purchase of the Rambler Group media holding owned by businessman Alexander Holding. This was reported by Reuters with reference to several sources in the financial and telecommunications markets.

The fact of negotiations was confirmed by two sources close to Rambler Group and Sberbank. The fact that Sberbank is discussing the purchase of Rambler Group is also aware of the Western banker and two sources in the telecommunications market. Moreover, while the transaction, the amount of which is not called, is at the stage of discussion, and it is possible that the parties will refuse it. So, one of the sources said that the main part of the Sberbank management was opposed to the transaction, but the head of the bank German Gref and his first deputy Lev Hasis are sure of its necessity.

"It is not yet very clear what the complimentary of the company for the bank and the ecosystem that it builds has been building for several years. The team also has questions why adjacent businesses in the form of media and cinemas are needed," he said.

The official representatives of Sberbank and Rambler Group denied the fact of negotiations on a possible transaction. “This information is not true. Rambler Group is conducting negotiations on refinancing loans at the Trust bank with Sberbank,” Rafael Abramyan, a member of the Rambler Group Managing Committee, told RBC .

Sberbank said that information about the bank’s plans to buy Rambler Group or individual holding assets is not true. Representatives of the bank also suggested that negotiations on refinancing loans were the basis for rumors.

The Rambler Group includes the Internet media-media holding Rambler & Co (includes the publications "Lenta.ru", "Gazeta.ru", "Poster", "Championship", Livejournal blog platform and online search engine), the largest cinema network "Cinema Park" and "Formula Formula" and online Cinema Okko.

Recall that in October last year the Vedomosti newspaper and The Bell, said that Sberbank, which owns the Yandex golden action, claims at least a 30 percent share in Yandex and receive a veto on key issues. Soon, both sides denied information about the possible bank receiving a large share of Yandex.