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French shares

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PARIS: French shares finished with small losses with most of the business led by trading in the futures contract in the absence of retail interest, traders said.

Business was light, with many domestic fund managers away on holiday and little news to drive the market. Some market professionals hope for a German rate cut this week.

CAC-40 index down 6.71, or 0.34 percent, at 1,950.37

CAC-40 Aug futures 1,960 vs 1,966 at Friday's close

Of CAC-40 stocks, 12 higher, 28 lower

Broader SBF 120 index closed down 3.53 at 1,329.46

Volume was 1.82 billion francs

LVMH (+9/871) bounced following H1 turnover figures. The stock had suffered due to yen exposure and boycott concerns.

GAN (-1.0/166) confirmed its asset sale programme may include Cie Financiere Jean-Paul Elkann unit, which newspapers reported was the subject of a bid by Electra Kingsway, a UK venture capital firm.

Suez (+0.20/236.20) chairman Gerard Mestrallet confirmed the group had dropped plans for a link-up with Lyonnaise des Eaux (-2.90/482.40) and Pinault-Printemps Redoute (+8/1,069)

Eurotunnel (-0.65/13,90) down on concerns that big investor Capital Group reduced holding below 10 percent.-Reuter