MILAN (Reuters) - Italian holding company Exor (>> EXOR SpA) said on Saturday it was in talks with Britain's Pearson (>> Pearson plc) on the possibility of raising its 4.72 percent stake in The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist newspaper.

Any increased investment in The Economist Group would represent a minority shareholding, the investment company of Italy's Agnelli family said in a statement. It added that, at the moment, there was no certainty that the discussions would result in a transaction.

Exor, which holds controlling stakes in carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and tractor manufacturer CNH Industrial (>> CNH Industrial NV), is looking at diversifying its portfolio away from automotive.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Stocks treated in this article : Pearson plc, EXOR SpA, CNH Industrial NV