Chilean retailer Ripley says no M&A deal has been reached

Chilean retailer Ripley said on Wednesday that it had held talks with a number of companies about developing its business in Colombia and elsewhere, but that no concrete agreement had yet been reached.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Mexican newspaper reported that Mexican retail chain Liverpool was planning to buy a 50 percent stake in Ripley, which has operations in Chile, Peru and Colombia. The report sent Ripley's shares up around 15 percent.

"The company is permanently in contact with various parties in the global mass consumer industry, among those Liverpool, to exchange experiences, share good practice and explore business possibilities of mutual benefit," Ripley said in a statement.

"To date no concrete result has been reached."