GfK's majority owner eyes merger or sale - WirtschaftsWoche

FRANKFURT, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The majority owner of Germany's GfK (Swiss: GFK.SW - news) is looking at strategic options for the market research firm, including a merger or sale, German weekly magazine WirtschaftsWoche reported on Thursday, citing no sources.

GfK Verein, which owns 56.5 percent of shares in GfK, had no immediate comment, while GfK itself was not available for comment.

WirtschaftsWoche said U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . rivals Nielsen Holdings (NYSE: NLSN - news) and IMS Health (NYSE: IMS - news) as well as WPP (LSE: WPP.L - news) unit Kantar were interested in GfK. All three companies were not immediately available for comment.

GfK has a market value of about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). Its stock has slumped by more than 20 percent since its chief executive and chairman earlier this month unexpectedly announced their resignations, having fallen out with GfK Verein.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in GfK were up 7.3 percent in pre-market trade at brokerage Lang & Schwarz on the WirtschaftsWoche report.

($1 = 0.8870 euros) (Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Additional reporting by Hans Seidenstuecker; Editing by Madeline Chambers)