Aug 10 (Reuters) - Activist investor Engine Capital has

built a stake in Avantor ( AVTR ) and plans to push the

life-sciences company to sell itself or make other changes, the

Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar

with the matter.

Engine could reveal its roughly 3% stake in Avantor ( AVTR ) on

Monday, the newspaper reported, adding that the activist

investor thinks the entire company could sell for between $17

and $19 per share.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Avantor ( AVTR )

and Engine Capital did not immediately respond to a request for

comment outside regular business hours.

Avantor ( AVTR ) has a market value of $7.84 billion, and its shares

have fallen by more than 45% this year to about $11.5, as of

Friday's close, according to LSEG data.

The company said in its first-quarter earnings report in

April that it has faced a reduction in demand, particularly in

the government and education market, after changes in the

government policy.

These include the administration blocking funding for a

swathe of public-health programs run by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

Engine thinks Avantor ( AVTR ) shares could trade as high as $26 by

the end of 2027, the WSJ report said.

The investment firm believes that Radnor, Pennsylvania-based

Avantor ( AVTR ) should either pursue an immediate sale or implement

changes such as cost cuts, divesting non-core assets, board

refresh or increasing stock buybacks, according to the report.