Banking • KBC

Shares in Leuven-based bank insurer KBC fell by more than 12% on the Euronext last week to €9.67, apparently as a result of the bank’s heavy activity in Eastern Europe. KBC is active in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as Russia, Serbia and Bulgaria. “We get the impression that all shares in banks that are active in Central and Eastern Europe are being indiscriminately dumped,” a KBC spokesperson said.

Brewing • InBev

InBev Belgium will push sales of Jupiler as the beer of choice at music festivals this year, in an effort to rebrand Stella Artois as a luxury beer. Stella is sold as a premium beer in other countries but not here. Jupiler, meanwhile, is the country’s top seller, though it has few sales abroad.

Gas supply •Eandis

Natural gas supplier Eandis plans to install budget meters in as many as 10,000 homes to try to tackle the problem of unpaid gas bills. The meters will cost the company €163 each and are activated by a rechargeable card. Eandis delivers so-called social energy in 80% of Flemish municipalities to families whose past payment problems make it impossible for them to get gas from the main suppliers.

Media • Persgroep

Kobbegem-based De Persgroep, owners of media from De Morgen to VTM, have encountered new competition in their €100 million bid to take over the Dutch group PCM, which publishes NRC Handelsblad and De Volkskrant. One counter bidder has yet to be identified, but last week saw the emergence of another, the Telegraaf Media Groep, which publishes the Netherlands’ top-selling newspaper.

Spirits • Filliers

Jenever producer Filliers Graanstokerij of Deinze is to take over competitor Wortegemsen, based in Waregem. Filliers was established in 1880 and last year turned over €11 million. The acquisition will make Filliers market leader for Belgium.

Trucks • DAF

Truck-builder DAF Trucks in Westerlo will cut its workforce in half with the loss of 874 jobs. The company blamed the move on shrinking demand as a result of the economic crisis, as well as the increasing difficulty in finding investment credit. Production has fallen from 245 trucks a day in September to 100 now.