Business in Brief

Mosfilm May Get 2 Studios

ST. PETERSBURG -- The country may transfer control of two state-run movie studios to the Moscow-based Mosfilm, which is also owned by the state, Mosfilm general director Karen Shakhnazarov said, Vedomosti reported Thursday.

The Federal Property Management Agency earlier planned to sell Lenfilm and Gorky Film Studio to private investors, the newspaper said. Representatives of both studios declined to comment to Vedomosti. (Bloomberg)

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RusAl Wage Talks in Jamaica

United Company RusAl, the world's largest aluminum producer, said Thursday that its Jamaican bauxite and alumina plant was operating normally and that wage talks with a labor union were ongoing.

The plant, operated by Alumina Partners of Jamaica, has two unions, with one already agreeing to renew workers' contracts, said Halvor Molland, a spokesman for Norsk Hydro. Hydro owns 35 percent of the plant. RusAl, owner of the majority stake, commented separately in an e-mailed statement. "There is no immediate risk of production disturbances," Molland said. Talks are over the renewal of a three-year contract, he said. (Bloomberg)

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Ukrainian Poultry IPO

LONDON -- Mironovskiy Hleboproduct, Ukraine's biggest poultry producer, said Friday that it raised $322.5 million in a London IPO to fund expansion.

The offering comprised 10.8 million existing shares and 10.8 million new shares in the form of depositary receipts sold at $15 each, the company said. The shares sold represent about 19.4 percent of the company, giving Mironovskiy a market capitalization of about $1.7 billion. (Bloomberg)

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For the Record

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling said Thursday that first-quarter profit rose 11 percent, aided by sales of calorie-free Coke Zero in Russia and Eastern Europe. (Bloomberg)

Billionaire Oleg Deripaska's Basic Element, Gazprombank and Vinci are among companies that may bid to expand St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport, Vedomosti reported Thursday, citing unidentified city officials with knowledge of the matter. (Bloomberg)

Sibir Energy, the oil producer controlled by billionaire Shalva Chigirinsky, said Thursday that it increased first-quarter crude output by 50 percent to a record. (Bloomberg)

Billionaire Roman Abramovich's Millhouse has sold 26 million shares, or 8 percent, of Highland Gold Mining for $79.3 million. (Bloomberg)

Srbijagas, Serbia's state-owned gas company, and Gazprom have delayed a joint venture project until after May 25, Srbijagas chief executive Sasa Ilic told TV RTS. (Bloomberg)

The Central Bank said Thursday that it would offer as much as 50 billion rubles ($2.1 billion) to banks at a special auction on May 13, at a minimum interest rate of 7.5 percent. (Bloomberg)

A high-speed road planned for St. Petersburg will cost 212.7 billion rubles ($9.1 billion), more than double the amount announced two years ago, Vedomosti said Thursday. (Bloomberg)

Kazakh copper producer Kazakhmys on Friday rejected a ?7.1 billion ($13.8 billion) offer from Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, calling it "ill-considered" and "derisory." (Bloomberg)