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☆ SocGen issues 10-mln-euro digital green bond on a public blockchain
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo of French bank Societe Generale is seen on the company's skyscraper at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, France September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Societe Generale , France's third-biggest listed bank, said on Monday it issued its first so-called digital green bond on a public blockchain, as the lender seeks to build expertise in crypto services. AXA IM made the investment in the digital green bond by acquiring and then spending 5 million euros worth of SocGen's euro-denominated stablecoin, EUR CoinVertible (EURCV). SocGen's bond issuance, made on the Ethereum public blockchain, follows the launch last week by the European Investment Bank (EIB) of its second euro-denominated digital bond on a private blockchain, in partnership with Goldman Sachs Bank Europe, Santander and SocGen. SocGen's digital green bond issuance was made via its crypto unit, Forge.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Generali, SocGen, Blockchain, Mathieu Rosemain, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Rights, AXA Investment, AXA, Generali Investments, European Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe, SocGen, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, Santander

The logo of payments company Worldline is seen at the company headquarters in the financial and business district of La Defense, near Paris, France, October 26, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/PARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - French digital payments company Worldline (WLN.PA) is considering options including asset sales as part of efforts to reassure shareholders after a sharp drop in its share price, three people familiar with the matter said. Another said assets sales may come from its software businesses but suggested these might not be sizeable enough to revitalise its shares. Other French banks could also partner with Credit Agricole for a role in Worldline's future, this person added. Bloomberg first reported Credit Agricole's interest in buying a stake in Worldline, prompting its shares to soar by almost 12% earlier on Friday.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Worldline, Adyen, Tommaso Nieddu, Amy, Jo Crowley, Mathieu Rosemain, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Diana Mandiá Álvarez, Gaëlle Sheehan, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Worldline's Mobility, Worldline, Credit Agricole SA, Credit Agricole, Bloomberg, Credit, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, PARIS, Germany, appeasing, Worldline's, U.S, Worldline

Even including the sale of Heathrow, this year is the slowest for airport transactions in the past decade, totalling $5.9 billion globally to date, according to Dealogic data. They have hired Mediobanca (MDBI.MI) and Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) to find a buyer for a sale of their 49% stake in the company, the people said. Heathrow's sale valued the airport at 14.3 times EBITDA, according to JP Morgan analysis published on Wednesday. UK's Esken (ESKN.L), owner of regional Southend Airport, said in June it had started a process for the sale of the airport. On Thursday, Hungary's state-owned Corvinus and Vinci Airports notified the European Commission of a proposed joint takeover of Budapest's airport, according to a document posted on the EU website.

Persons: Andras Kranicz, GIP, Australia's Macquarie, Spain's, Ferrovial, Agata Lyznik, Mediobanca, Gianni, Origoni, Nico Torrisi, Morgan, UK's, France's Vinci, Vinci, Corvinus, Emma, Victoria Farr, Andres Gonzalez, Elisa Anzolin, Joanna Plucinska, Mathieu Rosemain, Anousha Sakoui, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: LONDON, Heathrow, BNP, Global Infrastructure Partners, AGS Airports, Southampton, Australia's, International, ACI, Airports, Macquarie, Credit Agricole Assurance, 2i, Credit, SAC, Gatwick, Southend Airport, Global Infrastructure Fund, Vinci Airports, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: Edinburgh, Italy, FRANKFURT, Spanish, Europe, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Heathrow, France, Hungary's, Budapest's

Amundi signed a 10-year distribution accord in 2017 when it bought UniCredit's Pioneer Investments for 3.6 billion euros. Credit Agricole CEO Philippe Brassac told reporters this month it was no secret UniCredit was looking at ways "to optimise" the accord with Amundi. Orcel, sources have said, is unhappy with the amount of Amundi funds the accord binds UniCredit to place with customers. UniCredit had 134 billion euros in AUM from fund and portfolio management as of Sept. 30. If their relationship ended after 2027, it would still take UniCredit time to replace Amundi funds with other products.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Amundi, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Philippe Brassac, Brassac, Orcel, Azimut, Valentina Za, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Investments, Agricole, Credit, Amundi, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, MILAN, Italy, Italian, Milan

☆ Environmental groups urge funding halt for TotalEnergies' Mozambique project
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TotalEnergies signs are seen at a petrol station in Nice, France, October 10, 2022. The letter, seen by Reuters, comes at a crucial juncture for the French energy company as it prepares to relaunch Africa's largest foreign direct investment project. Activists warn the project may worsen climate change and fuel human rights abuses in the impoverished southern African nation. TotalEnergies said before Friday's letter that arrangements for project finance remain in place despite a 'force majeure' halt in 2021 when Islamist militants threatened the project site. The project delay has led some investors to reassess their previous cost assumptions in light of inflation and global gas market swings.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Banks, TotalEnergies, Ntshengedzeni Maphula, Reta Jo Lewis, Wendell Roelf, Toby Sterling, Nellie Peyton, Forrest Crellin, Mathieu Rosemain, Yuka Obayashi, Tim Cocks, Olivia Kumwenda, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, ActionAid International, Greenpeace, African Development Bank, Societe Generale, Africa's Export Credit Insurance Corporation, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, Mozambique, Greenpeace France, Netherlands, U.S, Exim, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Paris, Tokyo

A UBS logo is seen next to Credit Suisse at the Bahnhofstrasse before a news conference of Swiss bank UBS in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. The court, which also upheld the guilty verdict against the bank, said a new trial would need to take place at the Paris appeals court to determine a new fine, if any. UBS's shares, which were already up on the day, spiked as much as 3% more after news broke that the 1.8 billion-euro fine was struck down. The decision by the Cour de Cassation, France's highest judicial court, means the guilty verdict on UBS is final. France's top court reviewed whether the Paris appeals court ruling had complied with the law, not the facts that underpinned its decision.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, UBS's, " Keefe, Woods, Tassilo Hummel, Mathieu Rosemain, Stefania Spezzati, Silvia Aloisi, Mark Potter Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss, REUTERS, of, Cassation, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Paris, PARIS, Cour, Swiss, France, United States, Mozambique

The entrance to JPMorgan Chase's international headquarters on Park Avenue is seen in New York October 2, 2012. It is the bank's third-biggest city in the European Union in terms of staff with 900 people, coming after Warsaw (1,200) and Dublin (more than 1,000). In the wake of Britain's exit from the European Union, JPMorgan bought a seven-storey building near its historic headquarters in the first arrondissement to house more employees. JPMorgan will commit $50 million of the $60 million investment and Bpifrance will provide 10 million euros ($10.66 million). The aim is to raise between 150 million euros to 200 million euros by the end of 2024, the U.S. lender said.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Bpifrance, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, Mathieu Rosemain, Anousha Sakoui, Louise Heavens Organizations: JPMorgan Chase's, REUTERS, Rights, JPMorgan, U.S, European Union, Gardens, Justice, Ritz Paris Hotel, Spark, JPMorgan Asset Management, Thomson Locations: New York, France, London, Paris, Europe, Warsaw, Dublin, U.S, Vendome, Spark France

[1/2] The branch of Credit Agricole bank is seen in Warsaw, Poland, July 3, 2018. Its net income jumped 33% to 1.75 billion euros ($1.87 billion), above the 1.37 billion expected by analysts in a company-compiled poll. Group revenue rose 19% to 6.34 billion euros, topping the 5.99 billion expected by analysts. It reported lower-than-expected provisions of 429 million euros, helping its bottom line. Credit Agricole controls Europe's largest fund manager Amundi (AMUN.PA) and recently announced plans to acquire Belgian wealth management firm Degroof Petercam.

Persons: Marcin Goclowski, Morgan, Amundi, Degroof, Mathieu Rosemain, Augustin Turpin, Silvia Aloisi, Jason Neely Organizations: Credit Agricole, REUTERS, Credit, Credit Agricole Group, Societe Generale, BNP, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Credit, Warsaw, Poland, PARIS, Italy, France

NII at the French retail division fell by 27% in the quarter, excluding two regulated savings accounts, "well below expectations," JP Morgan said in a note to clients. The French lender said it now saw NII of its French retail, private banking and insurance division falling by more than 20% in 2023. The French retail division's earnings also suffered from hedging contracts against the risks of low interest rates. SocGen's shares had edged up 0.6% by 0924 GMT. The bank has also finalised the merger of its two French retail networks.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, JP Morgan, SocGen, Slawomir Krupa, Jefferies, Krupa, ALD, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi, Ingrid Melander, Emelia Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, European Central Bank, BNP, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France

One of them said that the cut off point could be closer to 6 billion euros ($6.33 billion). Some analysts had already questioned Renault's hoped-for valuation of up to 10 billion euros, with some suggesting the carmaker should pursue alternative options to raise cash. De Meo said in September that the listing could value Ampere at between 8 and 10 billion euros, above the French carmaker's own current market capitalisation of 9.55 billion euros. Other EV makers have seen their market value fall sharply in recent months. The Ampere IPO would include a mix of Renault's shares and new shares and could happen as early as April 2024, one of the people said, depending on market conditions.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Ampere, France's, Tesla, Renault's, Luca de Meo, China's Geely, IPOs, De Meo, Bernstein, de Meo, Elon Musk's Tesla, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Gilles Guillaume, Anousha Sakoui, Alexander Smith Organizations: Renault, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Reuters, DKV Mobility, HK, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Nissan, IPOs Renault, EV, Commission, UBS, Barclays, Ampere, Mitsubishi, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, LONDON, China, Saudi, Europe, Ampere, Elon

To this aim UniCredit wants to get to around 20 billion euros of in-house funds, Orcel said. UniCredit and Amundi are tied by a 10-year distribution agreement they signed in 2017, when UniCredit sold its internal asset manager Pioneer to Amundi. Orcel, who has been working to increase the bank's fee income since arriving in 2021, said on Tuesday UniCredit had been "rebalancing" its relationship with Amundi. By replacing the Amundi funds with its own products or those of partners who pay the bank more to sell their funds, UniCredit increases the portion of distribution fees in asset management it pockets. "In terms of value, I think in-house, strictly speaking, we're looking at about 20 billion euros," he said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Orcel, Valérie Baudson, Amundi, Mathieu Rosemain, Valentina Za, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris

☆ BNP says tough economy could spur opportunities for bolt-on deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Slower economic growth in 2024 could create more opportunities for bolt-on acquisitions, BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) Chief Financial Officer Lars Machenil said on Thursday. "If the (economic) growth is a bit more timid, which is probably what we're going to see next year, then that fuelling of additional growth - natural, organic - will be a tad slower," Machenil said. Machenil didn't elaborate on the nature of the potential bolt-on acquisitions. "Depending on how the next year will unfold, yes (there) might (be a) shift a bit towards bolting on," he said. Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lars Machenil, Machenil, Mathieu Rosemain, Mark Potter Organizations: BNP, Deutsche, ABN Amro, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Bank

☆ Atos shares plunge as nationalisation calls threaten planned Kretinsky deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Atos (ATOS.PA) shares plunged on Monday after calls from opposition lawmakers for the nationalisation of the ailing IT firm on national security grounds raised doubts about a planned deal involving Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Asked by Reuters if the government was considering nationalisation, or could support an amendment to do so, a finance ministry source replied "no". Lawmakers from Les Republicains said the deal threatened to allow French supercomputers, made by Atos and used for virtual nuclear tests, to fall into foreign hands. Others, including Brun, have said critical Atos components were also used in combat systems used by France's navy and air force. Atos had also won a contract to process data for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Persons: Atos, Sarah Meyssonnier, Daniel Kretinsky, Olivier Marleix, Socialist Philippe Brun, Philippe Brun, Jean, Pierre Mustier, Les Republicains, Brun, Leigh Thomas, Mathieu Rosemain, Tassilo Hummel, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Les Republicans, Socialist, Atos, Reuters, supercomputing, Paris, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: Paris, France

The logo of Atos is pictured at the Eurosatory international defence and security exhibition in Villepinte, near Paris, France June 13, 2022. Mustier, credited with restoring UniCredit's capital strength, will be tasked to revive investors' trust after a governance crisis and a series of setbacks pummelled Atos' shares, now trading at near record lows. Atos shares jumped by more than 20% in early Paris trading but reversed course in the morning. The planned sale of Atos's loss-making legacy IT operations, dubbed Tech Foundations, to Kretinsky is opposed by some minority shareholders and several French politicians. Atos on Monday reiterated the plan to sell Tech Foundations to Kretinsky under the terms announced in August, although it signalled some of the financial terms could change.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Bertrand Meunier, Kretinsky, Jean, Pierre Mustier, Daniel Kretinksy, Atos, Mustier, pummelled Atos, Kretinsky's, Mathieu Rosemain, Pierre John Felcenloben, Christian Schmollinger, Navaratnam, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Tech Foundations, Tech, Atos, Kretinsky, Thomson Locations: Villepinte, Paris, France, Czech, Kretinsky, Eviden, French, Atos

"We are negatively surprised by lack of revenue growth, increased capital target, payout & ROTE cut, and by the lack of details," Jefferies analysts said in a note. It also said its new targets were based on annual revenue growth expectations between zero and 2% between 2022 and 2026, but that it would aim to improve its cost-to-income ratio. A SocGen veteran and former head of its investment bank, Krupa said he would streamline the bank's activities but didn't elaborate. The share price decline put SocGen on course for the biggest one-day drop since March. "It will take time for the shares to discount the cost improvement given SG's mixed track record," they said.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Krupa, Slawomir Krupa, SocGen, JP Morgan, Tassilo Hummel, Silvia Aloisi, Elisa Martinuzzi, Michal Alexandrowicz, Mathieu Rosemain, Ingrid Melander, Mark Potter Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, BNP, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, Russia

☆ Key targets in SocGen's new strategy plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of French bank Societe Generale is seen on the company's skyscraper at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, France September 14, 2023. Here are key targets:GROWTHAnnual revenue growth expectations between 0 and 2% by 2026. In August last year, the bank said it was aiming for average annual revenue growth of at least 3% for 2021-2025. ROTETargets a 9 to 10% return on tangible equity ratio in 2026, up from a reported 5.6% ROTE at the end of June. CET1Aims for a CET1 ratio - a key measure of financial strength - of 13% in 2026, almost on par with the 13.1% reported at end of June.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Slawomir Krupa, SocGen, Krupa, Mathieu Rosemain, Ingrid Melander, Mark Potter Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Generale's, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/DUBLIN, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Societe Generale's (SOGN.PA) much-hyped new strategy plans were given a thumbs down by investors on Monday, underscoring uncertainty over European banks as they face a brittle economy. "There are more questions about the future and the economy," Legras said, adding that transformative mergers between banks, which investors have waited for in vain, remained unlikely. Reuters GraphicsThat dampens the prospects for Europe's banks, whose valuations are low and static, said one adviser who works with top executives from the region's lenders, adding that investors struggle to see much promise for the sector. European banks' modest earning power has dampened investor appetite for their shares, which often trade at just a fraction of book value - the sum of their assets. While in the United States, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are valued at around 1.5 times book value, Germany's Deutsche Bank, Dutch lender ABN Amro, France's Credit Agricole and Britain's Standard Chartered are valued at just half book value or less.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Jerome Legras, Legras, Slawomir Krupa, Krupa, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Frederic Rozier, Morgan Stanley, Karel Lannoo, Elisa Martinuzzi, John O'Donnell, Alexander Smith Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Reuters, European Central Bank, European Union, Commission, Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro, France's Credit, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, DUBLIN, France's, Europe, United States, Germany, Mirabaud, U.S, Brussels

People walk past a logo of French bank Societe Generale in front of the company's skyscraper at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, France September 14, 2023. The bank sees the business as non-core, having sold part of its operations in 2020, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But a transaction may not happen soon because difficult market conditions weigh on the unit's valuation, they said. Societe Generale Equipment Finance provides equipment leasing and financing solutions to manufacturers, dealers and vendors in sectors ranging from transport to industrials. Rather than naming non-core businesses, Krupa is more likely to outline the group's growth areas, said one person familiar with the bank's thinking.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Slawomir Krupa, Krupa, Italy's, SocGen, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Mathieu Rosemain, Andres Gonzalez, Amy, Jo Crowley, Elisa Martinuzzi, Silvia Aloisi, Jane Merriman, David Evans Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Finance, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, BNP, Societe Generale Equipment Finance, Basel Committee, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, PARIS, Basel

☆ Apple disputes French findings, says iPhone 12 complies with radiation standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Apple logo is pictured in an Apple store in Paris, France September 17, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) said on Wednesday its iPhone 12 model was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation regulations and standards after a French watchdog ordered it to stop selling the phones due to above-threshold radiation levels. The ANFR radiation watchdog told Apple on Tuesday it should stop selling iPhone 12 in France after carrying out tests which it said showed the smartphone's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was higher than legally allowed. The ANFR said it expected Apple "to deploy all available means to put an end to the non-compliance. Apple said it had provided ANFR multiple Apple and independent third-party lab results proving its compliance.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Apple, AFNR, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Paris, France

An advertising board is seen during the first demonstration of the technology 5G in Lisbon, Portugal June 4, 2018. The review by the banks, including Lazard, BNP Paribas, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, will involve some of Altice's major assets in the region, including SFR, France's second-biggest telecoms group, the person said. Altice, Morgan Stanley and BNP declined to comment, while spokespeople for Lazard and Goldman Sachs weren't immediately available for comment. Drahi told investors in August he felt "shocked" and "betrayed" by the ongoing corruption probe in Portugal, which led to the suspension of fifteen employees in Portugal, France and the United States and dozens of suppliers. Altice is already close to a deal to sell its data centres in France to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, French newspaper Les Echos reported on Wednesday.

Persons: Rafael Marchante, Altice, Lazard, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, France's, Goldman Sachs weren't, Patrick Drahi, Armando Pereira, Drahi, Les Echos, Mathieu Rosemain, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, BNP, Lazard, Altice, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Altice France, France, United States

Assets will be sold within Altice France or outside France to repay debt, Drahi told investors on a conference call. "(The aims is) to raise, one way or another, 3 billion (euros) of equity, plus or minus," Drahi said. Altice France's net leverage ratio at end of June was 6.3 times its yearly core operating profits. Altice France's net debt was close to 24 billion euros at the end of June, up from 23.6 billion at end of March, the group said. Total earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to 1.02 billion euros from 1.08 billion euros a year earlier.

Persons: Patrick Drahi, Philippe Wojazer, Drahi, Dennis Okhuijsen, Altice, Portugal Altice's, Armando Pereira, Pereira, Mathieu Rosemain, Ingrid Melander, Silvia Aloisi, Mark Potter Organizations: Altice Group, REUTERS, Altice, Thomson Locations: Franco, Israeli, Paris, France, PARIS, Altice France, Portugal

Fifteen employees have been put on leave in Portugal, France and the United States since news broke about the probe, which is currently limited to Portugal, said Drahi. Pressed by analysts on the call to lay out the role and extent of Pereira's involvement within the Altice group, Drahi said Pereira, whom he hired in 2003, had not held any stake in any Altice entity since 2005. Altice International, the entity that owns telecoms firm PT Portugal, is owned by Drahi's personal holding Next. The other two entities are Altice USA and Altice France, home to France's second biggest telecoms firm SFR. The debt has come under further pressure since Pereira's July detention, with longer-term debt issued by Altice France trading around 80 cents to the euro while those of Altice France Holding trade around 40 cents to the euro.

Persons: Patrick Drahi, Violeta Santos Moura, Drahi, Armando Pereira, Pereira, Altice, Mathieu Rosemain, Yoruk Bahceli, Ingrid Melander, Silvia Aloisi, Conor Humphries Organizations: French, REUTERS, Altice, PT Portugal, Altice International, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Portugal, United States, Altice France

FILE PHOTO-A woman walks past a Credit Agricole logo outside a bank office in Reze near Nantes, France, May 12, 2021. The results boosted Credit Agricole SA's (CAGR.PA) stock, which was up by about 5% at 0817 GMT, making it the best performer within France's blue-chip index CAC 40 (.FCHI). Helping the positive sentiment, the investment vehicle of the mutual banks that control Credit Agricole said it would spend 1 billion euros on the bank's shares, further tightening its grip on the lender. The vehicle currently owns 60.2% of Credit Agricole SA and said it had no intention to go beyond 65%. Degroof Petercam has client assets of 71 billion euros, while Indosuez said it had assets under management of 130 billion euros at the end of 2022.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Degroof, France's, JP Morgan, Degroof Petercam, Indosuez, Xavier Musca, Musca, Mathieu Rosemain, Geert de Clercq, Piotr Lipinski, Ingrid Melander, Augustin Turpin, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Agricole, CAC, PARIS, Credit Agricole, Credit Agricole SA, Royal Bank of Canada, Barclays, Credit Agricole's, Indosuez, KBC, Thomson Locations: Reze, Nantes, France, Belgian

☆ French lawmakers raise strategic concerns over Atos sale to Kretinsky
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Atos is seen on a company building in Nantes, France, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File PhotoPARIS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Talks to sell parts of French company Atos (ATOS.PA) to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky are raising concerns among some French lawmakers, who say the deal risks undermining the independence of France's nuclear deterrence. Lawmakers cannot block a sale of a French company, only the government can if it considers there is a strategic reason for doing so. The lawmakers questioned why an alternative French buyer, a consortium of French companies Astek and ChapsVision, who were reported in French media to have been interested, were not given more consideration. A source close to Astek said Atos's cybersecurity business also hosted other sensitive assets crucial to French intelligence interests.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Daniel Kretinsky, Atos, Thursday's, Figaro, Cedric Perrin, Kretinsky, Perrin, Astek, Atos's, Michel Rose, Mathieu Rosemain, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Les, Kretinsky, Casino, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nantes, France, Czech, Europe

The beat was underpinned by much lower-than-expected "cost of risk" - money set aside for failing loans - of 166 million euros. Analysts had expected 430 million euros. Dubbed a "year of transition" by Krupa's predecessor Frederic Oudea, 2023 is also marked by a severe downturn at SocGen's French retail banking division, fresh from a merger of its two local networks. The second quarter was also affected by negative exceptional items of 240 million euros, which Credit Suisse analysts said were tied to "legacy legal disputes". Retail banking outside France fared better, as did SocGen's car leasing division ALD Automotive (ALDA.PA), whose sales jumped by more than 17% thanks to the acquisition of rival LeasePlan.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Krupa, Slawomir Krupa, France's, Jefferies, Frederic Oudea, Intesa, LeasePlan, SocGen, Mathieu Rosemain, Augustin Turpin, Ingrid Melander, Mark Potter Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Royal Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, Credit Suisse, Retail, ALD Automotive, Thomson Locations: French, Courbevoie, Paris, France, PARIS, Russia

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