Natixis to simplify structure, pay special dividend

PARIS Feb 17 (Reuters) - French bank Natixis said on Sunday it would sell 12 billion euros ($16.02 billion) in investment certificates it owns in parent company BPCE to BPCE and its cooperative shareholders.

The move to simplify the structure of the BPCE group, one of France's largest cooperative lenders, will allow Natixis to pay out a 2 billion euro one-time special dividend to its shareholders, worth 0.65 euro a share, the bank said in a statement. ($1 = 0.7490 euros) (Reporting by Christian Plumb; Editing by Alison Williams)