U.S. Eatons Capital LC interested in Slovenia's Mercator market chain

An unknown U.S. company, Eatons Capital LC, has joined the race for the takeover of Mercator market chain, thus becoming a competitor to Agrokor.

When banks announced their intention to sell Mercator to Croatia's Agrokor Tuesday night, the U.S. company announced its intention to acquire Pivovarna Lasko, owner of the largest number of shares in Mercator and the biggest debtor to banks.

It is still unknown who stands behind that U.S. company.

Slovenia's Law on Takeover stipulates that the management of Pivovarna Lasko can conclude only current deals and shall not sell parts of its property, for which it requires a consent from the majority of shareholders, during the offer period of the takeover bid.

A surprising news was announced Wednesday morning, saying that Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB) Chief Executive Officer Bozo Jasovic unexpectedly resigned the night before.

NLB is among Pivovarna Lasko's biggest creditors, and its CEO Jasovic resigns at the time when the Bank is facing losses and consequences of bad loans amounting to about EUR 2 billion and when its capital increase of about EUR 400 is completely uncertain.

Trade unions and Zoran Jankovic, possible prime minister and former CEO of Mercator, have already declared against the sale of that company.

Mercator's suppliers are also opposing the sale, and all of them claim that Agrokor is too much in debt to meet Mercator's requirements regarding the protection of their interests.