The new classification of 7-Eleven's parent company as "core" to Japanese national security will not raise hurdles to a potential buyout, Japan's finance minister said on Tuesday, comments that appeared aimed at easing investor concerns about the move.
"We can't say the core classification makes a buyout more difficult," Suzuki told reporters, days after Seven & i Holdings became one of 88 companies added to the government's list of companies regarded as crucial to national security.
The change prompted speculation among some market participants that Seven & i, which was previously designated as "non-core" was attempting to better defend itself from a potential takeover by Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard.
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