Swedish investment firm Ratos to buy SF cinema group - paper

STOCKHOLM, March 17 (Reuters) - Swedish listed private equity firm Ratos will buy a majority stake in the SF cinema chain in a deal worth around 2.7 billion Swedish crowns ($420 million), daily Dagens Industri said on Sunday.

Ratos will buy 60 to 70 percent of SF Media, owned by Swedish media group Bonniers, and then SF Media will buy Oslo Kino, which has cinemas in 9 Norwegian cities, the paper quoted sources saying.

Ratos made no immediate comment on the report.

SF cinemas, which operates 41 cinemas in Sweden and Norway made a profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 258 million crowns, the paper said.

Ratos already owns Finnkino, the largest cinema operator in Finland and the Baltics.

Reuters reported last week that a deal for SF cinemas was close. ($1 = 6.3986 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)