Payment specialist Worldline's share price climbed on the Paris Bourse on Friday after Bloomberg reported that Crédit Agricole was considering taking a stake in the company.

Worldline shares were up by 5.30% at 12:15 GMT, having climbed by more than 9%. Crédit Agricole was almost stable at the same time (-0.06%), while the CAC 40 gained 0.34%.

The French bank is considering taking a stake in Worldline in order to support its partner, which is in difficulty due to the worsening economic situation, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to the matter.

The two groups had announced in April the opening of exclusive negotiations with a view to creating a joint venture specializing in payment services for merchants in France. A binding agreement was signed in July.

Worldline shares have lost over 59% of their value since the beginning of the year. (Written by Corentin Chappron, with Piotr Lipinski; edited by Kate Entringer)