(Alliance News) - 7-Eleven operator Seven & I Holdings Co Ltd on Wednesday denied media reports that it was considering selling a stake in its superstore business.

This follows several local media reports on Tuesday.

The Nikkei reported that Seven & I was mulling selling a stake in the business as early as 2026. The newspaper said the sale was motivated by the desire for outside capital to aid in restructuring its operations.

The superstore business encompasses various supermarkets including Ito-Yokado.

Nikkei also noted the possibility that Seven & I could take the unit public.

The Tokyo-based firm responded on Wednesday: "Some media reports have indicated that the company is considering selling a portion of shares in our superstore business. However, there are no facts to support these reports, and nothing has been decided at this time."

Shares in Seven & I were up 0.2% at JPY2,184.50 in Tokyo by Wednesday afternoon, having spent most of the trading day in the red.

By Elizabeth Winter, Alliance News senior correspondent

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