Italian petrol station operator Anonima Petroli Italiana has hired Capitalia and Goldman Sachs to prepare an initial public offering which could value the firm at up to €1.5bn ($1.8bn), according to analysts.

The wealthy Italian Brachetti Peretti family, which owns Anonima, is reported by the business daily Il Sole 24 ore to be considering reducing its stake in the company through the flotation of up to 40% of the firm, which one analyst at a US bank estimated could value the business at between €1bn and €1.5bn.