** Shares in Italy's Monte dei Paschi BMPS.MI jump over 6%
on renewed speculations of a possible tie-up fuelled by an
interview of the bank's CEO on Saturday, a Milan-based trader
says
** Lovaglio said to Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore the
state-owned bank could be "the kingpin" of further consolidation
in Italy's banking system
** Lovaglio also underlined that the bank's value is now at
a discount compared to competitors
** With today's jump Monte dei Paschi's shares return firmly
above the latest cash call price of 2 euro per share, at 2.08
euro
** At 0847 GMT shares in Monte dei Paschi are up 4.6%,
outperforming Italy's bank sub-index .FTITLMS3010 , which rises
0.6%
(Carlo Giovanni Boffa and Giancarlo Navach, editing by Alvise
Armellini)
((Carlogiovanni.boffa@thomsonreuters.com))