Nestle CEO Held No Talks on Alcon Sale: Report

Nestle, the world's largest food company, has held no talks about the possible sale of its stake in U.S.-based eyecare firm Alcon, said Chief Executive Officer Peter Brabeck in an interview in the Financial Times on Monday.

"It is our duty to constantly look at and review our financial assets. But there have been no discussions on the future of Alcon," Brabeck was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

Last week, Nestle Chief Financial Officer Paul Polman said Alcon was no longer viewed with the same strategic importance for the group as it had been previously, and that the stake was increasingly viewed as financial, not strategic.

Polman is widely tipped to be named as Brabeck's replacement as CEO in September.

But Brabeck told the Financial Times that the stake remained "strategic."

Nestle owns a 77.55% stake in Alcon, according to Reuters data. Alcon has a market value of $41 billion.