Finland's Solidium wants to buy more Metso, Outotec shares

(Adds takeover speculation, director's comments)

HELSINKI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Finnish state investment firm Solidium said on Thursday it was looking to buy more shares in Metso (Amsterdam: MS6.AS - news) and Outotec (Helsinki: OTE1V.HE - news) , which have both been hit by the slump in the mining sector and have been the subject of takeover speculation.

Engineering group Metso rejected a tie-up proposal from British rival Weir Group last year. Media reports suggested that Weir was also weighing a bid for mining technology company Outotec.

Solidium has recently increased its stakes to 13.9 percent in Metso and to 13.6 percent in Outotec, from 11.7 percent and 10.4 percent a year ago, respectively.

"We will likely increase our ownership somewhat in the future, but not in any rush," Managing Director Kari Jarvinen told a news conference.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in Metso and Outotec have both fallen about 30 percent in the past year as demand for their mining equipment and technology has decreased amid a sharp drop in commodity prices.

Jarvinen told Reuters that Solidium also wants greater clout in the two companies.

"For the long run, we believe they are favourably priced at the moment ... It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) is also clear that in some instances, your voice is heard better with a larger ownership."

Solidium's latest purchases of Metso shares have narrowly made it the company's biggest shareholder, followed by Swedish activist fund Cevian Capital. (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl, writing by Anna Ercanbrack; Editing by Susan Fenton)