L'Espresso group posts 2015 profit of 17 million

(clarifies merger talks with La Stampa, last graf).
    (ANSA) - Milan, March 2 - The l'Espresso publishing group in 2015 posted a profit of 17 million euros, up from 8.5 million the year before, with earnings of 605.1 million, 6% down on 2014, the group said Wednesday.
    The l'Espresso group, which publishes Italy's second-biggest daily La Repubblica, is reportedly in merger talks with the RCS group's Itedi unit that controls La Stampa of Turin and Il Secolo XIX of Genoa.