PepsiCo to acquire Russian major juice producer

Russian media outlets are reporting PepsiCo plans to buy up to 70% of Russian juice producer Lebediansky, in a deal worth up to $US 2 BLN.

Lebediansky shares have jumped by almost 18% on the RTS over the last month, topping $US 95 per share, which may boost the price of any deal.

Analysts say Lebediansky, which currently has a third of Russia's juices market, is a likely candidate for acquisition by a multinational like Pepsi.