D-day looming for Elders sell-off as Ruralco prepares raising ELDERS and its advisers will spend the weekend considering the merits of several buyout offers, while frontrunner Ruralco makes final preparations for a potential $150 million-plus equity raising to help finance an acquisition of the rural services business. The ailing former conglomerate revealed yesterday that it had received "one or more final, or near-final, bids" for its two operating businesses, Elders Rural Services and Futuris Automotive, which have been on the market since late last year.