ADP, EDF, Credit Agricole, PPR, Zodiac: French Equity Preview

By Gregory Viscusi and Sarah Thompson

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose stocks may have unusual price changes in Paris. Symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.

France's CAC 40 Index dropped 81.57 points, or 2 percent, to 4,097.40 in Paris. The SBF 120 Index fell 1.8 percent.

Aeroports de Paris SA (ADP FP): The operator of Paris's airports said August passenger traffic rose 1.6 percent to 8.4 million. It expects passenger traffic to rise about 2 percent for the year. The shares gained 27 cents or 0.5 percent to 53.06 euros.

Alstom SA (ALO FP): The world's third-largest power plant maker won a contract valued at 500 million euros ($708 million) to supply equipment to the Santo Antonio hydropower plant in Brazil. The shares fell 1.30 euros or 2 percent to 62.33 euros.

ArcelorMittal (MTP FP): The world's largest steelmaker announced plans targeting cost savings of $4 billion over the next five years. ArcelorMittal declined 1.47 euros, or 3.3 percent, to 43.1 euros.

Boizel Chanoine Champagne SA (BOZ FP): France's third- largest champagne producer said 2007 profit rose almost five- fold after it raised prices and more consumers purchased its pricier Lanson and Philipponnat brands. The shares fell 70 cents, or 1 percent, to 70 euros.

Carbone Lorraine SA (CRL FP): The French maker of electric motor parts lifted its 2011 sales target and said it plans to generate 30 percent of group sales from energy generation and distribution by 2012. The shares rose 48 cents or 1.4 percent to 34.44 euros.

Credit Agricole SA (ACA FP): France's third largest bank said it has less than 20 million euros of exposure to Lehman Brothers, and holds no debt of the bankrupt U.S. investment bank. The bank had other Lehman-related risk amounting to 250 million euros. Credit Agricole shares fell 66 cents or 5.2 percent to 12.08 euros.

Dreamnex SA (DNX FP): A French seller of adult products on the Internet, said first-half profit more than doubled to 5.23 million euros. The shares rose 50 cents, or 1.3 percent, to 38 euros.

Electricite de France SA (EDF FP): The board of Europe's largest power company meets with directors reportedly discussing a possible renewed offer for U.K. nuclear firm British Energy. The shares fell 24 cents or 0.5 percent to 48 euros.

PagesJaunes SA (PAJ FP): The French yellow-pages company bought by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. was downgraded to ``sell'' from ``buy'' at UBS AG, which cited a ``deteriorating'' outlook for economic growth and lowered profit forecasts from European and U.S. peers. The stock slid 15 cents, or 1.6 percent, to 9.36 euros.

PPR SA (PP FP): Gucci Group, the Italian luxury company owned by French retailer PPR, said Patrizio di Marco will take over as chief executive officer of its flagship Gucci brand, replacing Mark Lee. The shares fell 64 cents, or 0.9 percent, to 71.58 euros.

Societe Generale SA (GLE FP): Societe Generale SA said its exposure to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. arising from market activities in which Lehman acted as counterparty amounts to 400 million euros. The bank also has exposure of 76 million euros to senior Lehman debt, it said in an e-mailed statement. The counterparty exposure has been ``almost completely closed out,'' it said. The shares fell 2.77 euros, or 4.7 percent, to 55.97 euros.

Zodiac SA (ZC FP): The maker of airplane equipment said first half sales fell to 2.01 billion euros from 2.48 billion a year ago as it sold its marine unit and the weaker dollar cut revenue. The shares rose 46 cents or 1.4 percent to 33.97 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sarah Thompson in London at sthompson17@bloomberg.net.