Lebedyansky main owner denies sale talks with Pepsi

MOSCOW, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A key shareholder in Russia's top juice maker Lebedyansky LBDO.MM denied the company was in sale talks with PepsiCo Inc. (PEP.N).

A Lebedyansky spokesman confirmed the details of an Interfax report on Friday in which Nikolay Bortsov, Lebedyansky former director and owner of a 30 percent stake, was quoted as telling reporters there had been no discussions with PepsiCo, the world's number two soft drinks maker.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday PepsiCo was in talks with Lebedyansky and Russian business daily Kommersant reported the U.S. firm had agreed to buy more than 76 percent of its shares for $1.5-$2 billion before the year-end.

Bortsov's son Yuri, Lebedyansky's chairman, has 25.13 percent in the firm, which has over 30 percent of the Russian juice market, while 23.87 percent of shares are freely floated.

PepsiCo, which currently controls just 2 percent of the Russian juice market through the Tropicana brand, does not have its own juice-producing facilities in Russia.

Analysts have said the deal become more likely after private equity group Lion Capital agreed to buy PepsiCo's previous target, Russia's No.3 fruit juice maker, Nidan Soki.

Sources familiar with the matter said Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) was advising Lebedyansky while Dresdner Bank (ALVG.DE) and Russia's Renaissance Capital were advising PepsiCo on the deal.

((Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; editing by David Cowell; Reuters Moscow; +7495 775 1242; maria.kiselyova@reuters.com)) Keywords: LEBEDYANSKY PEPSICO/

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