Dutch ABN AMRO gains after reports of possible takeover by BNP Paribas

Shares of state-owned bank ABN AMRO (ABN.NL) jumped as much as 18% after Bloomberg  agency reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that BNP Paribas (BNP.FR) has expressed interest in a potential takeover of the Dutch bank. France's largest bank has arranged a meeting with government officials to discuss the potential deal, an anonymous source commented. BNP is interested in the retail and corporate franchise of ABN AMRO. Nevertheless, the sources said that at this point, the Dutch government is not showing interest in the transaction.

Shares of ABN AMRO (ABN.NL) and BNP Paribas (BNP.FR) gained after reports of a possible takeover. Source: xStation 5