LONDON (AFX) - 3i Group PLC, the UK private equity group, said it will return 800 mln stg to shareholders, reflecting strong returns from sales. The company said new investments for the first eleven months of 2006 to end-February rose to 1.598 bln stg, compared with 1.184 bln stg a year earlier.

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AFX) - KarstadtQuelle AG said it swung to full-year net profit of 345.6 mln eur from a year-earlier loss of 316.5 mln eur, after the company sold real estate worth 3.7 bln eur and limited losses at its department stores. The department stores, which generate about a third of group sales, posted a loss before interest and tax that narrowed to 12.5 mln eur from 126.7 mln eur a year earlier, helped by lower staff costs, the company said in its annual report published today.

MADRID (AFX) - Caja Madrid's deal with E.ON AG to sell its 9.9 pct stake in Endesa SA while retaining voting rights for two years includes the possibility of extending the agreement a further two years to 2011 if both parties agree, according to a statement with the CNMV. The agreement, announced Monday, includes E.ON's entitlement to dividends on the stake for the up to four-year period.

BRUSSELS (AFX) - Financial services company KBC Group NV is interested in buying a minority stake in Czech insurance group Ceska Pojistovna, financial dailies L'Echo and De Tijd reported. France's Axa, Dutch banking group ING NV and Germany's Allianz SE are also candidates for a stake, the reports added.

PARIS (AFX) - Air France-KLM is considering a plan to save 1.0-1.5 bln eur over three years and may announce the move at its full-year results presentation in May, weekly magazine Challenge reported. The magazine did not name it source or say how these savings would be made beyond citing improved productivity and a reduction in the number of leased aircraft.

VIENNA (AFX) - European private equity fund CVC Capital Partners said it is 'completely stunned' that its takeover bid for Boehler-Uddeholm has been rejected by the board of the speciality steel company. 'What we offered (Boehler) was a very friendly takeover strategy. CVC does not believe it would be possible for any other candidate to offer an even friendlier bid,' a spokeswoman for CVC said.

LISBON (AFX) - Stock market regulator CMVM has extended the deadline for registration of Banco Comercial Portugues' 4.33 bln eur bid for smaller rival Banco BPI, Jornal de Negocios reported citing a source at CMVM. The CMVM asked BCP for additional information regarding its planned prospectus. BCP has already provided the requested information, which the CMVM has accepted. However, the CMVM now has eight days again - the same as at the beginning of the process - to register BCP's bid.

FRANKFURT (AFX) - Merck KGaA expects binding offers for its generics unit by the end of April, sources within the financial industry said. The German pharmaceutical company will then likely continue talks with two or three bidders, the sources told dpa-AFX news agency.

ZURICH (AFX) - Syngenta AG announced the acquisition of German flowers company Fischer group for approximately 67 mln usd. Fischer, a privately held company specializing in the breeding and marketing of flower crops, reported sales of 86 mln usd for the financial year 2005-2006.

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