Agfa quashes rumours that it will sell its Healthcare group

Agfa-Gevaert has once again been forced to deny reports that it was selling its Healthcare unit on Tuesday, as speculation in the Belgian press continued to surround the pre-media giant.

Agfa, which appointed investment bank Lazard to conduct a strategic review of its operations in April, has since been dogged by rumours of a possible sale of all or part of the company.

Most recently, Agfa was forced to quash reports in the Belgian daily De Standaard that it was taking steps to sell its Healthcare business group by the end of the year. This followed suggestions in July that the company had received an offer from Dutch electronics company Philips.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Agfa said: "In the past week, a number of articles have appeared in the Belgian press, stating that Agfa-Gevaert is about to launch a formal sales process for its Healthcare business group.

"In its regular meeting of today, September 9, 2008, the board of directors has taken note of the confusion created by this misleading information and therefore has decided to set the record straight."

It continued: "The board confirms that no decision has been taken to launch a process for the sale of the Healthcare business group.

"The board confirms its commitment to the preservation of the unity of the Healthcare business group, to its strategy, and to the investments made for extending its leading position in healthcare IT."