STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Electrolux said on Wednesday that French competition authorities were set to take the next step in a long-running investigation of the Swedish company and other home appliance makers over breaching anti-trust rules in 2006 to 2009.
Shares in the white goods maker were seen down 2-3 percent in the wake of the news, traders told Reuters.
Electrolux, which said it did not rule out that the outcome could have a material impact on its financial result and cash flow, had previously said it had become the subject of an investigation in France in 2013.
The company said on Wednesday that the French competition authority will issue a so-called statement of objections in March alleging that Electrolux and other appliance makers coordinated their prices of large domestic appliances in the country.
The statement of objection will inform the parties of the authorities' preliminary conclusions, but will not prejudge the final outcome of the case, it added.
"Electrolux is cooperating fully with the Authority in these investigations," the company, a rival of U.S. maker Whirlpool Corp (NYSE:WHR), said in a statement.
