国际英语新闻：SocGen announces 4.8 billion euros capital increse

PARIS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- French leading bank Societe Generale (SocGen) announced Tuesday a capital increase of 4.8 billion euros(7.1 billion dollars), which allows it to early repay government's financial aids.

    This transaction will enable the banking group to repay debts loaned by the government after September 2008, and raise its capability to seize potential growth opportunities, the company said in a new release.

    Attributed to the improved market operating, SocGen will repay or repurchase all the government's loans worth 3.4 billion euros once the capital increase is fulfilled and it has started to purchase the remaining 20 percent stock rights in the bank of Credit du Nord, which is now held by Franco-Belgian bank Dexia.

    The group estimated a gross operation income of 430 million euros in 2009, and that of one billion euros in 2010.

    Last week, France's top banking group BNP Paribas launched a 4.3 billion euros right issue to pay back a governmental aid of 5.1 billion euros. Credit Mutuel also reimbursed the bailout funds of 1.2 billion euros to the state around the same period.