United Company RUSAL, International Public Joint-Stock Company (SEHK:486) is not considering buying out minority shareholders and taking the company private, the Russian aluminum giant said, commenting on reports in the Chinese media. "The Company would like to clarify that whilst it continues to evaluate options to maximize shareholder value, currently these do not include plans to propose a purchase of shares of minority shareholders of the Company to effect a privatisation, and the Board did not consider any privatisation of the Company," Rusal said. The supposition that Rusal might go private, according to the Chinese media, was expressed by London-based Odey Asset Management's Natural Resources Fund, which asked the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to look into the details of Rusal's upcoming spin-off of high-carbon assets, including whether Rusal's largest shareholders, En+ Group (MOEX: ENPL) and Sual Partners, have the right to vote at shareholder meetings on this deal. After the completion of the spin-off, Rusal's principal shareholder could buy out minority shareholders and take the company private, Odey said. En+, the principal shareholder of which is Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, controls 56.88% of Rusal shares, and Sual Partners, which is owned by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and his partners, holds 25.56%. Rusal's free float is about 10%.