By Sudip Kar-Gupta and Johannes Hellstrom 23 minutes ago PARIS/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - France Telecom (FTE.PA) withdrew a $40 billion plan to acquire TeliaSonera (TLSN.ST) on Monday, pleasing its own shareholders but casting doubt over the Nordic operator's future.This tie-up always faced long odds: the French suitor was restricted by its financial targets while analysts say Sweden, a big TeliaSonera shareholder, was wary of selling at too low a price for political reasons.
TeliaSonera shares dropped 12.7 percent to 43.50 crowns. Shares in France Telecom, which trades under the Orange brand, jumped 7.5 percent as investors welcomed its decision to avoid a costly deal that offered few savings.
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