Air France-KLM, France Telecom, Renault: French Stocks Preview

By Ladka Bauerova and Adria Cimino

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose stocks may have unusual changes in Paris. Symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.

November futures on France's CAC 40 Index sank 172.5 to 3,137 at 8:43 a.m. in Paris.

The CAC 40 added 12.69, or 0.4 percent, to 3,310.87 yesterday, gaining for a third day this week. The SBF 120 Index increased 0.2 percent.

Air France-KLM Group (AF FP): Europe's biggest airline said it will be ``very difficult'' to meet its 1 billion-euro ($1.28 billion) operating-profit target for the 12 months through March 2009. The stock lost 1.74 euros, or 13 percent, to 11.86.

Air Liquide SA (AI FP): Societe Generale SA raised its recommendation on shares of the world's biggest maker of industrial gases to ``buy'' from ``hold.'' The stock increased 89 cents, or 1.5 percent, to 60.95 euros.

Areva SA (CEI FP): The world's biggest maker of nuclear reactors said third-quarter sales rose 9 percent to 2.94 billion euros ($3.75 billion) on progress at atomic power plant projects. Analysts estimated 2.98 billion euros, according to a Bloomberg survey. The company also said it will build a $360 million parts factory with Northrop Grumman Corp. in Virginia. The company's investment certificates closed unchanged at 420 euros.

Carrefour SA (CA FP): Europe's biggest retailer said third-quarter sales rose 7 percent to 24.7 billion euros as growth in Brazil, Argentina and China was complemented by better-than-expected demand in the company's French domestic market. That's compared to an estimate of 24.6 billion euros in a survey of analysts. The shares added 62 cents, or 2.3 percent, to 27.75 euros.

France Telecom SA (FTE FP): Credit Suisse Group cut its recommendation on shares of Europe's third-largest phone company to ``neutral'' from ``outperform.'' The stock advanced 62 cents, or 3.2 percent, to 20.08 euros.

Gemalto NV (GTO FP): Societe Generale cut its recommendation on shares of the world's largest maker of smartcards to ``sell'' from ``hold.'' The stock sank 86 cents, or 3.8 percent, to 23.52 euros.

Meetic (MEET FP): Europe's biggest publicly traded Internet dating site reported a 16 percent increase in third- quarter revenue to 34 million euros and forecast full-year sales of as much as 134 million euros. The shares dropped 40 cents, or 4.2 percent, to 9.10 euros.

PPR SA (PP FP): The owner of the Gucci luxury-goods brand said third-quarter sales rose 1.7 percent, the least since 2005, to 4.94 billion euros after the global credit crunch cut into demand for goods from handbags to furniture. The shares declined 1.53 euros, or 3.6 percent, to 40.93 euros.

PSA Peugeot Citroen SA (UG FP): Europe's second-largest carmaker cut its full-year sales and earnings targets after third-quarter revenue dropped 5.2 percent amid a European auto- market slump. The shares fell 1.13 euros, or 5.9 percent, to 17.90 euros.

Renault SA (RNO FP): France's second-largest carmaker cut its full-year profit and sales goals after third-quarter revenue fell 2.2 percent amid a slump in auto demand. Renault will shut its French factories for one or two weeks, and in some cases for longer, Le Figaro reported, citing CFDT union leaders. The shares dropped 1.96 euros, or 7.2 percent, to 25.39 euros.

Groupe SEB SA (SK FP): The world's largest maker of countertop kitchen appliances said nine-month revenue rose to 2.18 billion euros from 1.91 billion a year earlier. The shares lost 10 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 24.13 euros.

Veolia Environnement SA (VIE FP): Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA and rival Veolia Environnement have agreed to bid together for water management contracts in Latin America, Expansion reported, without saying where it got the information. Shares of the world's biggest water company lost 38 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 17.15 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ladka Bauerova in Paris at lbauerova@bloomberg.net.