The week in business: 30 September

Stationery \ D’Ieteren
The Brussels-based car distributor has acquired Italy’s Moleskine company, producer of high-end notebooks and stationery, with annual sales of €128 million in 114 countries. D’Ieteren has also decided to spin off its property portfolio, valued at €140 million, in a separate affiliate.

Banking \ KBC
Flanders’ largest financial institution is seeking to acquire the United Bulgarian Bank. The move marks KBC’s return to the acquisition trail in Eastern Europe after years of inactivity in the area imposed by European authorities as conditions for its public bailout in 2008.

Air \ Ryanair
The Irish low-cost carrier is launching four new routes from Brussels Airport in April, to Madrid, Malta, Hamburg and Milan. It will also increase flight frequencies to Porto. The move is expected to push Ryanair’s Belgium-based traffic to over nine million passengers.

Bicycles \ Eddy Merckx
The company producing bicycles named after the world-renowned cycling champion is investing €13.7 million to increase capacity and shore up its balance sheet.

Hotels \ Metropole
Up to 50% of the hotel on De Brouckereplein in central Brussels is up for sale following the decision of the Wielemans family to sell its stake. The hotel, launched in 1895, has been negatively affected by the creation of the capital’s pedestrian zone.

Shipping \ Exmar
The Antwerp-based group, serving the gas and oil industries, is considering the sale of its LNG stocking and re-gasification activities to the Dutch Vopak group for up to €500 million.