Vivendi advances on the Paris Bourse on Friday, as the French media group makes its return to the CAC 40 index on December 18 after a six-month absence.

At 10.19 a.m., Vivendi shares were up 2.3% at 8.88 euros, having gained as much as 4.7% at the opening, compared with a 1.02% gain for the SBF 120.

Euronext, the operator of the Paris stock exchange, said on Thursday that the company, controlled by businessman Vincent Bolloré, would join France's flagship index, replacing troubled payments group Worldline , as part of the index's quarterly rebalancing.

Vivendi returns to the CAC 40 after a six-month absence, having been excluded from the index by the stock market operator last June.

Its reintegration comes at a time when the group has finalized its takeover of Lagardère, enabling it to strengthen its position in publishing and gain a foothold in specialized travel retailing.

Vivendi's market capitalization exceeds 9 billion euros, compared with less than 4.5 billion for Worldline.

(Written by Diana Mandiá, edited by Blandine Hénault)