Norilsk Nickel may sell its 51.3% stake in Stillwater Mining Co., the only US producer of palladium and platinum. Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, CEO of Russia’s Norilsk, said the move was in keeping with firm’s moves to tighten control at home and streamline its overseas operations. Norilsk’s stake in Stillwater is worth about USD 750 million, compared with the USD 341 million in cash and palladium it paid when the stake was acquired in 2003. But Stillwater is reporting losses, notching up a loss of 7 cents per share in the fourth quarter of last year. Mr Strzhalkovsky said Norilsk would hold talks with the Stillwater management. He said Norilsk was also reviewing a possible sale of some underperforming nickel assets in Australia, which have been idle for a year.