France calls on state-backed firms to scrap dividends

PARIS (Reuters) - The French government will ask companies in which the state has a stake not to pay dividends, Employment Minister Muriel Penicaud said on Friday, adding pressure on firms across France to forego payouts as they deal with the coronavirus crisis. Unions have already called for all French companies to scrap payments to shareholders to preserve cash, saying this week that state-backed firms in particular should set an example."For companies in which the state has a stake and..