Areva, Credit Agricole, Societe Generale: French Stocks Preview

By Rudy Ruitenberg

May 29 (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.

France’s CAC 40 Index dropped 31.16, or 1 percent, to 3,263.70 in Paris, snapping four days of gains. The SBF 120 Index retreated 0.9 percent to 2,363.82.

Air Liquide SA (AI FP): The world’s biggest maker of industrial gases bought Torrance, California-based cryobiology company Pacific Science Inc. It didn’t give financial terms. The shares fell 29.5 cents, or 0.5 percent, to 64.85 euros.

Areva SA (CEI FP): The Transmission & Distribution division of the world’s biggest builder of nuclear reactors won an 80 million-euro converter stations contract from South Korea’s KEPCO. The company’s publicly traded investment certificates gained 3.55 euros, or 0.8 percent, to 424.55 euros.

Credit Agricole SA (ACA FP): France’s second-biggest bank suspended an accord with Assicurazioni Generali SpA on their stakes in Italy’s No. 2 lender Intesa Sanpaolo SpA until June 30, while they try and find a solution acceptable to Italian regulators. The shares lost 18 cents, or 1.7 percent, to 10.17 euros.

Electricite de France SA (EDF FP): Europe’s biggest power producer has been named as a material witness by French judges investigating an alleged espionage plot against Greenpeace, Le Monde reported, citing the company’s lawyer. The shares fell 85 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 37.63 euros.

Imerys SA (NK FP): The building-materials manufacturer raised 251 million euros selling new shares to existing investors. The shares declined 77 cents, or 2.5 percent, to 30.21 euros.

NetBooster (ALNBT FP): The Internet consultant whose clients include Expedia Inc. raised 2.5 million euros selling new shares to existing investors. The stock closed unchanged at 2.60 euros.

Orchestra-Kazibao SA (KAZI FP): The maker of children’s clothing named Bernard Joinet as its new chief executive and said Pierre Mestret will continue as chairman. Mestret previously held both posts. The shares added 21 cents, or 3 percent, to 7.21 euros.

Societe Generale SA (GLE FP): France’s third-biggest bank issued 1.7 billion euros of preference shares to a French government holding company. The shares have no voting rights and cannot be converted into ordinary stock, the bank said. The shares dropped 70.5 cents, or 1.7 percent, to 39.80 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris at rruitenberg@bloomberg.net.