Nuclear deal

Privatisation is once again the order of the day for Areva. The French state-owned nuclear company was set to be sold by the former government two years ago. But Jacques Chirac got cold feet. Nicolas Sarkozy, fresh from engineering the GdF-Suez merger, has taken up the cause. But he will run into the same issues as his predecessor. Areva is the world leader in the booming nuclear industry. Based on its limited free float – non-voting share representing 4% of the equity – it is worth E24bn. The ...