Hungary's privatisation agency, ÁPV Rt, plans to sell at least 1.7% of its 11.7% stake in MOL Rt through a public offering, an ÁPV spokesman confirmed yesterday. The size and timing of the public offer depends on when MOL exercises its option to buy 10% of its own shares from ÁPV. The option expires on October 27, the ÁPV spokesman added. If MOL doesn’t exercise its option, ÁPV might sell more shares, although the amount and date have yet to be decided. The news essentially confirms previous rumours on the market that a 1.7% MOL stake could be sold to domestic private investors. This could have some short-term negative impact on MOL’s share price a few weeks before the auction, although for the time being the news should be considered as neutral.