Fortis raises 1.5 bln euros from capital hike

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Belgian-Dutch financial services group Fortis (FOR.AS) (FOR.BR) has raised 1.5 billion euros (1.2 billion pounds) from a capital increase as part of a package to shore up its finances by more than 8 billion euros.

Fortis said in a statement late on Thursday that it had placed 150,000 new shares priced at 10 euros per share. It said it had received substantial demand from institutional investors.

On Thursday, Fortis said it was forced to take what it called "exceptional measures" by tough market conditions as well as its purchase of parts of its former Dutch rival ABN AMRO, sealed just as the credit crisis hit last year.

It said it would skip this year's interim dividend, sell about 6 percent of new shares, dispose of 2 billion euros of non-core assets, sell and lease back real estate and pay its full-year dividend in shares.

The stock ended at 10.20 euros on the Amsterdam bourse, its lowest level in more than five years, and at 10.26 euros in Brussels.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by David Cowell)