French and Benelux stocks - Factors to watch on March 24

PARIS, March 24 (Reuters) - Below are leading stories from French and Benelux newspapers and company-related news which could have an impact on the region's markets or individual stocks.

EADS (EAD.PA)

India has cancelled a tender for 22 attack helicopters, an official from the European aerospace company said on Tuesday. "We have been informed," Yves Guillaume, chief executive of EADS' India unit, told reporters. EADS had been told of the cancellation last week. Further details were not immediately available. [EAD.PA]

TOTAL (TOTF.PA)

The French oil company and Saudi Aramco are looking to reduce the cost of building their Jubail oil refinery in Saudi Arabia to less than $10 billion, a Total executive said on Tuesday. [nLO103120]

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (SCHN.PA)

The French engineering company has completed a 250 million euro bond issue. The bond's coupon was below 6 percent, the company said in a statement on Tuesday without being more specific.

ORPEA (ORP.PA)

France's Orpea, which provides care homes for the elderly, confirmed on Tuesday its mid and long term goals and expected to be able to show profitable growth and sales of 820 million euros ($1.12 billion) this year.

CLUB MEDITERRANEE (CMIP.PA)

The French holiday group expects to have decided by the end of this year where to open up a resort in China with local partners, its Chairman and Chief Executive Henri Giscard d'Estaing said in Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday. The group was gaining market share in Asia and would increase capacity by opening resorts in Cambodia and Vietnam, he said.

GENFIT (ALGFT.PA)

The French biotech said on Tuesday it would buy the type 2 diabetes and obesity early stage research program from a unit of German drug and chemical firm Merck KGaA (MRCG.DE). Genfit will continue to develop the compounds using the results obtained by Merck Serono during their 8-year partnership. Merck Serono will develop drug candidates outside of these therapeutic areas.

ARCELORMITTAL ISPA.PA

The world's largest steel maker said on Tuesday it would launch a 750 million euro convertible bond to diversify its sources of funding and to lengthen its debt maturity profil. It confirmed its 2009 EBITDA guidance of about $1 billion.

VINCI (SGEF.PA)

The world's largest public works and transport concessions group said on Monday it had won a 1 billion euro contract in Slovakia. [ID:nWEA3833]

ALCATEL-LUCENT (ALUA.PA)

The Franco-American telecoms gear maker will supply third generation (3G) mobile networks to China Unicom (0762.HK) in some 14 provinces, it said on Monday. [ID:nLN679870]

EURONAV ENAV.BR

The Belgian shipping group reports final 2008 results. For more double click on [ENAV.BR]

ZETES (ZTS.BR)

The Belgian identification systems maker reports 2008 results. For more double click on [ZTS.BR] ($1=.7329 Euro)