GENSTAR SALE BOOSTS BELGIAN SOCIETE GENERALE NET
Societe Generale de Belgique <BELB.BR>
said the near doubling of net profits in 1986 was due in large
part to the sale of shares in Genstar Corp.
    The company, which announced a net non-consolidated profit
of 5.31 billion francs compared with 2.82 billion in 1985, said
its current profits rose by 19 pct last year, without giving
further figures.
    However, it added in a statement that the company made
major capital gains on sales during the year, in particular
from the sale of Genstar shares.
    Societe Generale governor Rene Lamy told last November's
annual meeting that 1986 asset disposals would total around 4.5
billion francs, including the sale of Genstar shares to Imasco
Limited <IMS.TO>.
    He predicted a profit on extraordinary items of two billion
francs after a rough balance in 1985.
    In today's statement, Societe Generale gave no figures for
extraordinary gains.
 Reuter
