MILAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Credit Agricole has kicked off the sale of a portfolio of non-performing Italian loans worth around 6 billion euros ($7.5 billion), a source close to the matter said on Friday.
The portfolio comprises consumer credit loans and loans to small and medium sized companies, the source said, adding 1.3 billion euros of the total were secured loans.
"We never comment on rumours and speculation" a spokeswoman for the bank told Reuters.
Earlier on Friday, Bloomberg reported Credit Agricole was looking to sell about 6 billion euros of Italian non-performing loans bought from other institutions a decade or more ago.
A second source said the soured loan portfolio belonged to Credit Agricole's corporate and investment bank Cacib.
Non-binding offers are expected before the end of March while the deal should be wrapped up before the end of June, the first source said. ($1 = 0.8039 euros)
(Reporting by Massimo Gaia, additional reporting by Paola Arosio in Milan and Mathieu Rosemain in Paris; writing by Stephen Jewkes; editing by Alexander Smith)
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