STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Swedbank shares gain almost 4 pct

Swedbank (SWEDa.ST) shares advance almost 4 percent, reaching a near three-week-high, following comments by Nordea's (NDA.ST) chief executive over the weekend that the Swedish bank made an attractive merger partner.

"I believe that it helps on a day like this, when the market is a little positive, that Nordea's CEO is out talking about Swedbank being an attractive merger partner," says an analyst on the rise in Swedbank's share price. Norwegian business daily Dagens Naeringsliv quoted CEO Christian Clausen as saying that he was not surprised that Swedbank had been repeatedly mentioned as a good match for Nordea, the Nordic region's biggest bank by value. [ID:nL9423378]

"Everyone who is looking at our books can see that this is a good match. But there are also other good matches," Clausen was quoted as saying.

Nordea shares are up 1.3 percent.

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