STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Gemalto rises after govt fund stake buy

Shares in Gemalto rise as much as 6.4 percent after the French state buys a stake of about 8 percent in the digital security firm and asks for a representative on the company's board to help back its profitable growth strategy.

The strategic investment fund (FSI) says the investment is at the core of its strategic mission as Gemalto plays "a key role in making the French economy competitive and was ideally positioned in the digital and mobile world to achieve growth in coming years".

The stock is 3.1 percent higher at 23.78 euros. It has lost around 15 percent so far this year, giving the group a market value of just over 2 billion euros.

For more, double click on [ID:nLT425478]

Reuters Messaging rm://james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net