09:20 AM EST, 03/07/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Canada's convenience store and gas station operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ( ANCTF ) says it has held "exploratory discussions" with buyers for any US stores that would need to be divested to secure regulatory approval for a potential takeover of Japanese rival Seven & i Holdings Co., Bloomberg has reported.

Bloomberg noted Couche-Tard executives, including founder and chairman Alain Bouchard, will visit Tokyo next week to try and advance discussions with Seven & i, and are also planning to hold a news conference on March 13 to publicly present their case for buying the company behind 7-Eleven stores.

"We have identified a potential divestiture portfolio of US stores," Couche-Tard said in an emailed statement. "In collaboration with Seven & i, and to provide further assurance, Couche-Tard is having exploratory discussions with third parties to identify potential acquirers."

Couche-Tard last year proposed to purchase the parent company of 7-Eleven for $18.19 per share, but so far hasn't been able to enter negotiations with the company, which has sought to fend off the approach by pursuing a sweeping overhaul to unlock shareholder value. Seven & i has yet to convince investors, with the stock trading more than 20% below Couche-Tard's proposed price of US$47.5 billion for the business

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally, and/or from other media sources. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)