Damen and Fincantieri are Potential STX France Buyers

Dutch group Damen shipyards and Italian group Fincantieri are the two potential buyers that have emerged for STX France, a shipyard subsidiary of the struggling South Korean group STX Corp, French daily Le Monde said on Thursday.

"Two foreign candidates, Italy's Fincantieri and Holland's Damen are fighting over the last big French company of the (shipyard) sector," Le Monde said, citing several sources.

On Wednesday a French finance ministry source said two potential buyers had emerged for STX France.

The French state holds a 33 percent minority stake in STX France, which runs naval shipyards in Saint Nazaire on the west coast. Lossmaking STX Corp is in administration.