French and Benelux stocks - Factors to watch on March 23

PARIS, March 23 (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.

SOCIETE GENERALE
Bosses at Societe Generale said they had decided to give up
their stock options following criticism from the government
since the bank had received state aid. [nLM25582]

VALEO
French car parts maker Valeo SA said Chief Executive Thierry
Morin was stepping down in a disagreement over strategy and
named Jacques Aschenbroich as his successor. [nLN618443]

AIR FRANCE-KLM
Air France-KLM said it would submit a non-binding expression
of interest in the Czech government's stake in Czech Airlines on
Monday in order to access the airline's data room. [AIRF.PA]

BNP PARIBAS
The Paris prosecutor's office has launched a preliminary
investigation to see if BNP Paribas provided misleading
information about investments in a fund buying Madoff-related
products, the Journal du Dimanche newspaper said without naming
its sources. BNP denied ever having advised clients to buy
Madoff products and said it would in turn file a complaint.
[nLL493444]

CASINO , REXEL
Casino named Antoine Giscard d'Estaing, 48, new chief
financial officer at the French retailer to replace Michel
Favre, who will move to Rexel. Giscard d'Estaing has been a
partner with Bain & Company Paris since last year and was
previously at food group Danone . [CASP.PA]

ING
ING will make 1.2 billion euros in extra pension
contributions this year mostly due to a reserve shortfall at its
Dutch staff pension fund.
The Dutch financial group is asking some staff to give back
2008 bonuses and will currently not pay any bonuses for 2009,
its chief executive Jan Hommen told Dutch daily De Volkskrant.
[ING.AS]

ALSTOM
Alstom plans to combine its Alstom Power and Alstom Systems
divisions, Germany's Mannheimer Morgen newspaper reported,
citing an internal memo from CEO Patrick Kron. [ALSO.PA]

IBT
Belgian radiotherapy implant maker International
Brachytherapy (IBt) forecast that turnover would rise by over 50
percent and that it would make its first net profit in 2009
after a merger-based expansion last year. [nBRQ007253]

DUVEL
Belgian speciality beer maker Duvel predicted it would face
high malt and hops costs in 2009 and proposed a 25 percent hike
in its dividend after better-than-expected results last year.
[nLK52719]

BINCKBANK
British insurer Aviva has increased its stake in
Dutch online broker BinckBank to 10.03 percent from 9.41 percent
last December, a statement from Dutch market regulator AFM
showed. [BINCK.AS]

________________________________________________________
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